Influencer Henrique Medeiros was ‘buried in shallow grave after heart attack during drug-fuelled romp with pal’s sister’

10 months ago 21

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SUSPECTS in the alleged murder case of a famous Brazilian influencer have handed themselves in – claiming that he died during sex after taking drugs.

26-year-old Henrique Medeiros’ body was found buried in a shallow, makeshift grave in a friend’s garden on Saturday nearly a week after he vanished.

Brazilian influencer Henrique Medeiros was found dead in his childhood friend’s garden[/caption]

The star’s childhood friend and his girlfriend had buried him in a makeshift grave[/caption]

The suspect’s house has since been looted and set on fire[/caption]

Angry locals later set fire to the house of Renan Jose, the childhood pal Henrique had told his family he was having Christmas Eve dinner with, in Itapecerica da Serra near Sao Paulo.

Renan, 28, and his partner Caroline Mello, 24, went to police 24 hours after his body was discovered and were remanded in prison for 30 days – despite insisting his death was accidental and drugs-related.

Police later confirmed that the couple were claiming Henrique had taken cocaine and fallen ill during sex with Caroline’s younger sister.

Itapecerica da Serra police chief Luis Hellmeister told Brazilian news outlet Metropoles: “We’re seeking to speed up the autopsy report.

“The arrested couple’s version is that they buried the body because they didn’t know what to do with it.

“They said he overdosed when he took Caroline’s sister to the bathroom to have sex.

“When he had an orgasm, he fell ill and collapsed and died. That is what they say.

“The autopsy results will determine whether his death was accidental and the result of a probable heart attack as they say.

“In that case they will face charges of hiding a body.

“If it’s proven he was killed, the man and woman will face homicide charges.”

Henrique’s anguished sisters, who have already accused the arrested pair of lying, were responsible for calling the police and had appealed for the public’s help in finding him.

A sister, who ruled out the possibility the mystery disappearance was another practical joke, had said before Henrique was found dead: “We’re waiting for any news, with the help of the police.

“Seeing the days go by with nothing to go on is traumatising.”

Renan was also interviewed by a local TV station before his friend’s body was found buried by his house and claimed he had left to walk back to his own property 100ft away around 2am on Christmas Day.

He told a local TV reporter: “He was completely normal shortly before his disappearance. He said when he left he was going home.”

The suspect’s home was looted shortly after and set alight by angry locals in their home town of Itapecerica da Serra after Renan vanished following the interview.

Henrique, full name Carlos Henrique Pires Medeiros, was going to have dinner with his family on Christmas Eve but told them at the last minute he was heading to his friend’s house instead.

He left a WhatsApp message in a family group hours before he vanished which said: “Happy Christmas to everyone.

“Has someone got some cash to lend me so I can continue having a good time….it’s just a joke.

“Merry Christmas all. We’re together. I love you all.”

His worried family called in police on Boxing Day.

They confirmed on Sunday his body had been found after recognising him by the clothes he was wearing and a tattoo.

A female friend took to social media after the gruesome discovery and posted a photo of the man and woman who ended up handing themselves in.

She captioned it: “Look for the killers of Henrique Medeiros.”

Distraught pal Roseni Vieira added: “We will always remember you. Rest in peace Henrique Medeiros.”

She also posted footage of a local TV report showing the makeshift grave where her friend’s body was found next to the house in flames where he spent his last night alive.

A social media appeal for information on Henrique’s whereabouts, before the discovery of his body, said: “He gained prominence on social media and YouTube with his pranks ‘trolling’ friends and family.

“However his sudden fame is now clouded by the worry of his absence.

“On the day of his disappearance the influencer left his house open, as if he planned to return quickly, taking only his mobile phone and documents with him to head to a friend’s house for dinner.

“His family have no news and despite contacting his friends and girlfriend, no-one has any information on his whereabouts.”

Brazilian media subsequently started speculating Henrique, whose fan base on YouTube and Instagram is near to the two million mark, disappeared due to local upset over one of his pranks.

Although, his family insisted the content was always agreed beforehand with those he played tricks on and he made friends with them rather than enemies.

In one of the videos he made shortly before he vanished, Henrique filmed himself putting soap into a neighbour’s water tank.

In another he appeared to set light to a home-made bomb in a spot local media subsequently identified as a place local drug dealers used to sell their illegal wares.

He started making a name for himself in his homeland around six years ago and had slowly gathered a solid fan base.

Another relative, trying to put a stop to growing speculation his disappearance could be linked to his influencer activities, insisted:

“Everything was planned and agreed beforehand.

“Rather than making enemies with what he did, he made more friends.

“The only reason he took down the video of him making bombs was because he was getting messages from people who were copying him.”

The property Henrique moved into at the start of the year, which the authorities are already thought to have searched, includes a plaque on the wall commemorating his first one million YouTube followers.

Henrique is also thought to have started editing videos recently for other influencers.

He vanished in just the clothes he was wearing, which included a shirt with his own logo on it, his ID card and mobile phone.

He had left the charger for his phone at home, which ran out of battery while the search for him was continuing.