Douglas County Omaha Victim Witness

Trial in Brazilians' deaths begins

Prosecutors have one star witness in their case against the man accused of killing a family of Brazilian missionaries in Omaha.

His wife.

The wife of Valdeir Goncalves-Santos, 31, will describe how Goncalves admitted to her that he and two other men killed Vanderlei Szczepanik, quartered his body and dumped him over a bridge, said prosecutor John Alagaban, a deputy Douglas County attorney.

Prosecutors say subsequent conversations indicated that Szczepanik's wife, Jaqueline, and 7-year-old son, Christopher, met the same fate.

Outraged over her husband's actions, Goncalves' wife has traveled thousands of miles from a small coastal village in Brazil to testify against him, Alagaban said.

The wife's testimony is the primary evidence — defense attorneys call it the only evidence — in a case that will test prosecutors' ability to secure a conviction without the victims' bodies.

The first-degree murder trial, which began Tuesday in Douglas County District Court and is expected to last at least two weeks, is a tale of a family of Brazilian missionaries who vanished from Omaha just before Christmas 2009.

The Szczepaniks' Florida-based church had sent them to Omaha in 2004 to help turn the former Paul VI High School campus into a missionary center.

Szczepanik, who operated IGIT (In God I Trust) Construction, had hired one Brazilian worker, Jose "Carlos" Oliveira-Coutinho. Oliveira, in turn, had brought Goncalves and a third Brazilian to work for Szczepanik on the church-school, among other projects.

Those workers — fueled by greed and resentment — turned on their boss, plucking him and his family from their South Omaha home and killing them, prosecutors say.

Left behind in the church-school that doubled as the family's home at 1722 S. 16th St: A Christmas tree with ornaments, lights and children's slippers underneath. Legos scattered on the floor in front of the tree. The 7-year-old's coat hanging on a hook. His "Thomas the Tank Engine" comforter blanketing his bed. His wire-rim eyeglasses on a smiling train on the bed.

PG County sheriff's deputy charged in OC assault - WGMD.COM

Officers met with an adult female victim and numerous witnesses. The victim related that she and another female acquaintance later identified as Jennifer Nicole Douglas, 26, of Fort Washington, MD, became involved in an argument over keys to a vehicle that escalated into a physical confrontation.

During the physical confrontation, Douglas allegedly produced a star shaped badge and handgun and pointed the handgun at the victim’s head.  Douglas left the scene in a vehicle and was later located by Ocean City Police in the area of 42nd Street. At the time of the stop, Douglass identified herself as a Prince Georges County Maryland Sheriff’s Deputy. Police recovered a .40 caliber, Glock handgun. Officers confirmed Douglas was a Deputy Sheriff.

As a result of the OCPD investigation involving Douglas’s use of a firearm she was arrested.  Douglas has been charged with:

when hiring police officers/correctional officers only applicants that will reluctantly use force should be hired. these rogue types which you hear about more and more could be placed in psychiatric care based on their applications and subsequent interviews for hire. only problem is that the ones responsible for hiring are identical in mindset.

Well I am shock to hear about Douglas conduct because she usally is a very nice person in the community. I remember her when she worked for the PGPD but non the less we all loose out temper at times. We on the other hand are looking in the window wondering what went down. Lets not be pre-judgemental lets wait to see what really happen. Hope all works out for everyone.

Witness

Witness

Douglas, A tragedy

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