True story behind Netflix’s Elize Matsunaga: Once Upon A Crime
Netflix true crime documentary looks at the grisly 2012 murder that shocked Brazil.
Netflix documentary series Elize Matsunaga: Once Upon A Crime focuses on a crime that shocked Brazil – the murder of businessman Marcos Matsunaga, who was shot in the head and then dismembered by his wife Elize in 2012.
The four part series will be available to stream on Netflix from Thursday 8th July. It features Elize Matsunaga’s first ever interview since her trial, as well as interviews and testimonies from investigators who worked on the case, and family, friends and colleagues of the couple.
Elize’s past and her relationship with her husband are also revisited in the documentary. “I felt a great moral responsibility to direct this series,” said director Eliza Capai. “Not only for Marcos’ family and friends who suffered with this tragedy, but also for Elize’s family, people who knew nothing about it but also suffer the consequences until this day.”
Who is Elize Matsunaga?
Elize Matsunaga is a former nurse who admitted to murdering and dismembering her wealthy husband in Brazil in 2012.
Elize came from a poor family in the southern state of Paraná and was raised by her grandparents and her aunt. She married Marcos after meeting him through an escort service, and many of the couple’s friends described her as a Cinderella who, in marrying Marcos, had become a princess.
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The couple had a daughter, who was a baby when Marcos was murdered.
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What did Elize Matsunaga do?
On May 19, 2012, company director Marcos Matsunaga was killed by a gunshot wound to the head by his wife, Elize.
She then cut his body into pieces, placed the parts in plastic bin bags inside three suitcases and took them out of the couple’s São Paulo apartment. Security cameras in her apartment building showed her leaving with the large bags. The suitcases were later discovered scattered by the side of a road in Cotia, around 20 miles from São Paulo. Not all of Marcos's body parts have been found.
Elize initially denied any involvement, but later confessed to the crime. She was put on trial in 2016. In court, she claimed it was a crime of passion, following arguments over Marcos’s alleged infidelity.
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Where is Elize Matsunaga now?
On the 5th of December, 2016, Elize was found guilty of homicide, which carried a sentence of 18 years and nine months, and she also received an extra 14 months for the destruction and concealment of Marcos’s body.
Elize was sent to Trembembé Prison in São Paulo. In 2019 her sentence was reduced because she had confessed to the crime, and she is now due for release in 2035.
Elize Matsunaga: Once Upon a Crime release date
Elize Matsunaga: Once Upon a Crime will be released on 8th July on Netflix.
Is there a trailer for Elize Matsunaga: Once Upon a Crime true story?
There is a trailer for the documentary series and you can watch it here.
Elize Matsunaga: Once Upon a Crime will be available to stream on Netflix from 8th July. If you’re looking for something else to watch, visit our TV Guide or the best series on Netflix and best movies on Netflix for what to watch next. Check out our Documentaries hub for all the latest news.
