Rio's Dark Underworld, a Former Police Officer & the Murder of MARIELLE FRANCO

The assassination of Marielle Franco became one of Brazil's most shocking political murders. On March 14, 2018, the Rio de Janeiro councilwoman and human-rights activist was shot and killed alongside her driver, Anderson Gomes. Years later, former military police officer Ronnie Lessa confessed to carrying out the assassination and described how ambition, money and Rio's violent criminal underworld shaped his path from police officer to contract killer. Investigators say Lessa monitored Marielle before the attack and recruited former officer Élcio de Queiroz to assist him. His confession also exposed connections between former police officers, militias, illegal gambling networks and organized crime in Rio de Janeiro. This episode follows Lessa's transformation, the investigation that eventually identified him, and the wider system surrounding the murder of Marielle Franco.