Danelo Cavalcante

sister to confess to the crime, showing that his attack had not been planned; rather, it had been done in the heat of the moment. “There’s no rhyme or reason to these stabs. That’s the intense passion, said Barkawi. After a long and grueling trial, both sides of the case would wrap up their arguments, leaving the jury to deliberate on Cavalcante’s guilt. In the end, it took only around fifteen minutes for the jury to make a decision, an unprecedented amount of time for a case of this nature. On the evening of August 17, 2023, the jury came to a unanimous decision in the case: Cavalcante was guilty of first-degree murder and possession of an instrument of crime. In reaction to the swift guilty verdict issued by the jury, District Attorney Ryan had this to say: Ms. Brandão’s children are now left motherless, and she will never have the opportunity to watch her children grow up, finish school, or have families of their own. Her . . . daughter had the courage to testify in this case and helped obtain justice for her mother and their family. We are extremely grateful for Chester County Detectives, Schuylkill Township Police Department, and the jury for this just outcome. (Chester County District Attorney Facebook Page 2023) Cavalcante had no defense or excuse to offer for his brutal killing of Brandão. Instead, all he could offer was a weak apology to Brandão’s family, who had to live on after the senseless tragedy.

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Cavalcante’s Arrest and Conviction