Brazilian arrested in Italy was a fugitive for involvement with a neo-Nazi group and the death of a couple in PR in 2009; look back

João Guilherme Correa was convicted of shooting a couple to death in 2009 Reproduction/Civil Police of Paraná The Brazilian João Guilherme Correa, arrested this Saturday morning (27), in the Pavia region, near Milan, Italy, was the target of two arrest warrants, according to the Civil Police of Paraná (PCPR). One of them was issued after Correa was convicted of shooting to death, in 2009, the couple Bernardo Pedroso and Renata Ferreira. The other, according to PCPR delegate William Araújo Ribeiro, was a preventive arrest warrant for the crimes of racism and apology for Nazism. The 35-year-old man was found by Italian authorities in an international cooperation operation that included the Paraná Civil Police. The double homicide for which Correa was convicted took place in the city of Quatro Barras, in the Metropolitan Region of Curitiba (RMC). The deaths were motivated by a dispute over the leadership of a neo-Nazi group that sympathized with the ideals of Adolf Hitler, the dictator who led the genocide of six million Jews during the Holocaust between 1941 and 1945. At the time, Bernardo was 24 and Renata was 21. According to the investigation, the two were killed after a party themed around the 120th anniversary of Hitler's birth. Look back at the crime below. Two convicted for killing a couple at a neo-Nazi party João Guilherme was sentenced to 35 years and two months in prison. However, he fled days before the trial, which took place without the defendant present. g1 contacted João Guilherme's defense, but received no response by the time this report was last updated. According to the Paraná Police, the suspect will remain at the disposal of the competent authorities for the appropriate procedures, including the extradition process, in accordance with international cooperation mechanisms. Investigation During the investigations, civil police officers from the Sarandi Police Station tried to locate the suspect. The teams served search and seizure warrants at properties linked to the family and people close to João Guilherme in the municipality. Cell phones were seized and elements were gathered indicating that the suspect had left Brazil and was in Europe. “The information obtained by the investigation team supported the cooperation work between criminal prosecution agencies, allowing for the location and arrest of the suspect in Italian territory,” explains delegate William Araújo Ribeiro. In addition to Correa, three other people were convicted for the murders Accused of killing the couple Reproduction/RPC According to the sentences issued by the Justice of Paraná, three people were found guilty of the couple's death. Economist Ricardo Barollo, pointed out as the mastermind of the crime, was arrested at the time, as were the other involved parties, Jairo Maciel Fisher and João Guilherme. Before the trials, everyone was released by court decisions. In March 2025, Jairo Maciel was sentenced to 32 years and three months in prison. João Guilherme was sentenced to 35 years and two months in prison. In the same trial, defendants Rodrigo Motta and Rosana Almeida Oliveira were acquitted. Ricardo Barollo was tried months later, in May of the same year, and was sentenced to 48 years and 9 months. He was arrested shortly after the trial. According to the MP-PR complaint, the crime happened after the couple left the party, which was held at a farm in Campina Grande do Sul, also in the Metropolitan Region of Curitiba. They were followed by one of the defendants. During the journey, another car, driven by another involved party, intercepted the victims' car on the shoulder in Quatro Barras. The investigation says that two hooded suspects got out of the second car, armed with pistols, and fired at the couple, who died at the scene. In a note sent by lawyer José Carlos Portella Junior, the family of Renata Ferreira, one of the victims of the crime, said they hope the prisoner will be sent to Brazil. "Renata's family expresses their relief at the arrest of the murderer who was a fugitive. Now the victim's parents will be able to close this wound and focus on keeping Renata's memory alive. Her family hopes that the murderer will soon be sent to Brazil so he can pay for the atrocious crime he committed," the note says. Bernardo Pedroso and Renata Ferreira Reproduction/RPC What Brazilian law says about apology for Nazism Apology for Nazism with symbols, emblems, or propaganda of the regime is a non-bailable and imprescriptible crime in Brazil, punishable by imprisonment and a fine. According to the legislation, it is a crime to: Practice, induce, or incite discrimination or prejudice based on race, color, ethnicity, religion, or national origin. Penalty: imprisonment of one to three years and a fine – or imprisonment of two to five years and a fine if the crime was committed in publications or social media. Manufacture, market, distribute, or broadcast symbols, emblems, ornaments, badges, or propaganda that use the swastika or hooked cross for the purpose of promoting Nazism. Penalty: imprisonment of two to five years and a fine. VIDEOS: Most watched on g1 Paraná Read more news on g1 Paraná.