The body of a Brazilian soap opera actor, who had been missing since January, was found buried in the backyard of a home on May 22.

The body of Jefferson Machado was discovered stuffed in a trunk and buried in the neighborhood of Campo Grande in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, according to Spanish-language media outlet R7.

The house where the body was found had been rented by a friend of the actor, R7 reported. The fellow actor, who was not named, is now under investigation in connection with Machado’s death.

The trunk had been buried in cement, according to People.

Actor Jefferson Machado found dead inside trunk buried at Rio de Janeiro home https://t.co/1kohdZEhov pic.twitter.com/nexhpKnE6M

— New York Post (@nypost) May 26, 2023

According to the U.K. Daily Mail, police used fingerprints to confirm that the body found was that of Machado.

The Mail report, quoting a Brazilian news outlet, said Machado’s body was found with his hands tied and a piece of metal wire around his neck.

Machado had been reported missing in late January.

His mother, Maria das Dores, said she became worried because he did not call his family as he usually did and texts supposedly from him were not like those he usually sent.

“Jefferson was coldly and brutally murdered by envious, evil and, of course, unscrupulous people,” Cintia Hilsendeger, who has been operating the actor’s social media accounts, wrote on his Instagram page.

Machado family attorney Jairo Magalhae Pereira said in a Facebook post that Machado’s body “was found with strangulation signs.”

“This discovery confronts us with the cruelty present in our society, motivating us to seek truth and justice in the face of such impactful cases,” he wrote

“As Jeff's family attorney, I am on a mission to keep a close eye on investigations. Preliminary information indicates that the actor's body was found in a trunk, buried in a hole of considerable depth. This situation deeply saddens us and indignant in the face of the suffering faced by Jeff,” Pereira continued.

O corpo do ator Jeff Machado, de 44 anos, estava com um fio de metal em volta do pescoço quando foi encontrado dentro de um baú concretado em Campo Grande, Zona Oeste do Rio. A informação foi dada pelo advogado que representa a família do ator, Jairo Magalhães. pic.twitter.com/X6pppjdRwk

— Porto Alegre 24 Horas (@portoalegre24h) May 25, 2023

“My commitment as a lawyer is to seek tirelessly for truth and justice. It is my responsibility to ensure that everyone involved in this brutal crime is held accountable and punished, and that Jeff’s family finds the support they need to get through this very painful time."

“I believe in the transformative power of justice and dedicate my career to fighting for the rights and protection of my clients. In cases of extreme seriousness like this, I reinforce my commitment to face the challenges and seek a fair and appropriate resolution,” he wrote.

Machado starred in the soap opera “Reis.”

This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.