Shock twist in Cecilia Haddad murder trial

The murder trial of Marcelo Santoro is in disarray after the accused killer made a stunning move in court, indefinitely delaying justice for the family of Cecilia Haddad.

The trial of Marcelo Santoro over the alleged murder of Cecilia Haddad has been indefinitely delayed after the accused killer reportedly fired his legal team.

In a stunning twist on the first day of court, Santoro announced the termination of his legal team over a “disagreement about a document”, according to Nine News.

While the trial was scheduled to begin Monday (local time), it has been delayed indefinitely until a new defence team is retained by Santoro.

Santoro’s former defence lawyer João Francisco Neto did not immediately respond to News Corp Australia’s request for comment.

Cecilia Haddad. Picture: Facebook

Brazilian Mario Marcelo Santoro.

“The prosecution team were caught completely off-guard when this announcement came, they also couldn’t believe it wasn’t going ahead,” said Nine News correspondent Lauren Tomasi, who reported from the courtroom.

Inspector John Edwards, who was scheduled to give evidence at the trial, told Nine News they committed to return once a new trial date was set.

“This happens in Australia too, we’ll be there next time” he said.

Five years ago, Cecilia Haddad was murdered in her Sydney home - her body dumped in the Lane Cove River - allegedly, at the hands of her ex-partner.

Her accused killer wastoday supposed to face trial in Rio de Janerio - but there has been another setback. @LaurenTomasi#9Newspic.twitter.com/gbzrcUmQiT

— 9News Australia (@9NewsAUS) January 30, 2023

Santoro is accused of murdering the 38-year-old Sydney businesswoman after she broke off their relationship in April 2018.

He is alleged to have stalked and terrified the popular Ms Haddad for weeks before her murder before killing and weighing her body in the Lane Cove River.

The jilted lover, a former mining engineer, flew to Rio the next morning and was eventually arrested three months later through a collaboration between NSW Police and Brazilian authorities.

“Monster,” her brother yelled from the courtroom, according to Nine.

Santoro’s former defence lawyer had previously said the collaboration between Australian police with Rio prosecutors was “illegal” under Brazilian law.

Cecilia Haddad’s mother Milu Muller at a previous court appearance in Rio at the trial of Marcelo Santoro. Picture: Alex Ribeiro

While it was unclear what “documents” Santoro was referring to in court that led to the termination of Mr Neto, his now-former defence team had previously expressed concern over Australian documents in English and not translated into Portuguese.

They also claimed some documents were filed through irregular channels, with Ms Haddad’s death certificate, for example, having been sent through her Rio-based family rather than through authorities.

The defence team was also unable to secure his release during Covid while awaiting trial, leaving Santoro in Rio’s notorious Gericinó prison complex for the past five years.

Before the trial, Ms Haddad’s mother, Milu Muller, told Nine that it has been so difficult since her daughter’s death that she did not “want to live”.

Brother Joao Haddad said the wait for justice has been five hard years for the family.

“We miss her so much,” Mr Haddad said, adding that his son was born just five days before his sister’s death.

“She’s never going to meet him. It’s so sad for me,” he said.

Originally published as Shock twist in Cecilia Haddad murder trial