Suspect Recants Killing Shell Executive and Wife, Says Two Others Committed Crime (UpDate)

AP ^ | April 2, 2004

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Suspect Recants Killing Shell Executive and Wife, Says Two Others Committed Crime RIO101

Apr 2, 2004

By Michael Astor/ Associated Press Writer/

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil (AP) - A day after a public confession, a handyman denied Friday he killed an American couple and blamed two other Brazilians for the crime. Jociel Conceicao dos Santos, 20, was placed into Brazil's witness protection program after recanting his confession delivered at a police news conference, said Rio state security secretary Anthony Garotinho.

Dos Santos claimed that two others "were the real authors of this crime and he only collaborated with them," Garotinho said. Dos Santos said he received $14,000 for providing the information to the men, Garotinho said.

There were no details on the police hunt for the two suspects or what specific charges Dos Santos faces.

Utah natives Todd Staheli, 39, a Shell oil executive, and his wife, Michelle, 36, were beaten to death as they slept in their Rio condominium Nov. 30. All four of their children, ages 3 to 13, were home but unaware of the attack.

Dos Santos calmly said after his arrest Thursday that he used a crowbar to beat the couple to death as they slept.

But the admission raised doubts after he said his motive was to punish Todd Staheli for calling him a racial slur in fluent Portuguese. Staheli's relatives in Utah said the executive spoke little or no Portuguese after arriving in Brazil less than four months before the killings.

The handyman recanted after a judge determined police did not present enough evidence to show that dos Santos used a crowbar to bludgeon the couple. Dos Santos worked for a neighbor of the Stahelis

Earlier Friday, police led dos Santos through a re-enactment of the killing of Staheli and his wife at the luxury condominium complex.

Before dos Santos changed his statement, Garotinho said he was convinced that police had arrested the killer and had the murder weapon but was unconvinced by the motive dos Santos offered and that others may have also been involved in the killing.

The FBI, which has been monitoring the case, does not consider the case closed, said Wesley Carrington, a spokesman for the U.S. Embassy in Brasilia.

"We understand that this is still an ongoing investigation," he said. "The FBI continues to follow the case and remains in a position to offer continued investigative support if necessary."

Before the arrest of dos Santos, Brazilian authorities speculated that Todd Staheli may have been targeted in a contract killing because of his work for Shell.

Staheli was vice president for joint ventures in the Southern Cone gas and power unit of Shell. Before transferring to Rio, he worked for Shell in London, the Ukraine, Switzerland and Saudi Arabia.

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"The handyman recanted after a judge determined police did not present enough evidence to show that dos Santos used a crowbar to bludgeon the couple"

Hmmm.......?

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[Shermy]

bump.

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Brazilian Handyman Update Pong

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Brazil handyman update Pong

[Utah Girl]

I just read that they arrested the handyman. His story was kind of not all there. I guess we'll see.

[Caipirabob]

Horrible, but crime in Rio and generally everywhere down there has skyrocketed. My friends down there live in iron-gated 12 foot walled fortresses near the beach, but even that's not enough against someone who wants to get in.

[FITZ]

Interesting.