Cecilia Haddad’s accused killer flew to Brazil because of his dad’s health problems

Incredible claims have surfaced about why a man accused of murdering a woman suddenly took a flight to Brazil after she vanished.

Mario Marcelo Santoro — the man accused of murdering Sydney businesswoman Cecilia Haddad and dumping her body in the Lane Cove River — has told a court why he flew to Brazil shortly after she vanished.

The 40-year-old Brazilian man, who is charged with killing his ex-girlfriend eight months ago, has told a judge in Rio that he returned home just before her body was found because of his father’s health problems.

Marcelo Santoro said he flew home because of his father’s health problems. Picture: Supplied.

He said at his pre-trial that he left Australia because he missed his children and wanted to see his father — who was due to ­undergo heart surgery around that time.

According to The Australian, Santoro claimed his mother urged him to leave Australia earlier than ­expected.

“I told her it would be difficult, but I would try,” Mr Santoro said, adding that he bought a return ticket.

Santoro is alleged to have strangled Ms Haddad, a 38-year-old fellow Brazilian whose body was discovered on April 29 in Australia’s Lane Cove River. He denies killing her.

He took the flight to Brazil just hours before the body was discovered.

Australian investigators grew suspicious when they noticed how soon after the body was found that Santoro returned to Brazil.

Santoro said at a hearing on Monday that he returned to Rio in April instead of May as originally planned because his father was ill.

Cecilia Haddad’s body was discovered in Sydney’s Lane Cove River. Source: Facebook

Investigators said in the weeks before her death, Ms Haddad had asked Santoro to move out of her Ryde apartment, in Sydney’s northwest, 6km from where her body was found.

There was no sign of a break-in at her home.

Brazilian-born Ms Haddad arrived in Australia more than a decade ago and moved to Sydney in 2016 where she worked in mining and logistics.

The judge is deciding whether Brazilian prosecutors can try Santoro in Brazil. Santoro will be back in court in February.