Woman Brings Corpse To Sign Bank Loan, ‘He Had Been Dead For At Least Two Hours’
It comes as no surprise that there are some uniquely cruel people in the world, people who would do anything to try and get ahead or walk away with some sort of benefit. This has been seen on a large scale time and time again, but what about the smaller cases?
A shocking and unheard-of crime took place at a Brazilian bank when a woman brought in her uncle to sign something, only for the tellers to discover that he was in no state to be signing anything.
A Final Attempt
A bank in Rio had to deal with a unique yet morbid situation when a woman brought her elderly uncle in to sign for a bank loan, only for him to be unable to hold the pen, not due to his age or motor control, but because he was dead.
The woman, Érika de Souza Vieira, had brought her 68-year-old uncle, Paulo Roberto Braga, to the bank in a wheelchair and tried to have him 'sign' for a loan of 17,000 reais, roughly $3,250 USD.
Something's Off
The employees were quick to realize that something was wrong. One of them even started filming as soon as something seemed amiss, while another went to phone the police. In the meantime, an employee speaking to Vieira commented on her uncle's pale complexion.
"That's just what he’s like," she replied while trying to place a pen in Braga's hand so he could sign. Again, the employee brought up his appearance, saying, "I don't think he’s well. He doesn’t look well at all."
First Of Its Kind
Police arrived shortly after and arrested Vieira on the spot. She was charged with violating a corpse and attempted theft through fraud.
Investigating officer Fábio Luiz Souza was shocked by the report. "She knew he was dead... he had been dead for at least two hours," he said. "I have never come across a story like this in 22 years [as a cop]."
He wasn't the only one shocked, most people couldn't believe it when the news dropped.
Shock And Horror
"It is just unbelievable. It seems like a wind-up, but this is serious," said news presenter Leilane Neubarth. "She has gone into the bank with a cadaver – and has tried to get money with a human being who is dead."
Camila Bomfim, another journalist, wrote, "This is the last straw [...] This goes beyond all limits because there can be no doubt about the difference between a living person and a dead person."
Certain Beyond Doubt
However, Vieira does have a lawyer fighting for her, Ana Carla de Souza Correa. "The facts did not occur as has been narrated. Paulo was alive when he arrived at the bank," Correa told reporters, claiming there were witnesses who could prove that. “All of this will be cleared up. We believe in Érika's innocence.”
Souza doesn't think her case has a shot, nor that this claim of Braga being alive is true, saying that the man already had visible signs of livor mortis setting in. "Anyone who sees that [footage] can see the person was dead."
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