14 December 2015

Reinaldo Coutinho da Silva

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(April 27, 1941 – August 29, 1995)

Date of murder:

August 29, 1995

Place and circumstances of murder: Reinaldo Coutinho da Silva was driving his Gol car along Edson Avenue in the Lindo Parque neighborhood of São Gonçalo around 7:30 a.m. on August 29, 1995, when he stopped at a red light at the 2818 block. A man fired 14 shots at him from another automobile.

Place of birth: Niterói, Rio de Janeiro

Age at death: 54

Marital status: Widower since 1986. His wife, Maria Gilda Henriques da Silva, died in a traffic accident. They were married for 25 years. He spent the remaining years of his life with Marilda da Silva Henriques.

Children (names and ages at the time of their father’s death): Mauro Ricardo Henriques da Silva, 31; José Ronaldo Henriques da Silva, 28; Karla Raquel Henriques da Silva, 16. Another son, Rogério Henriques da Silva, died aged 21 with his mother in a car accident in 1986

Education: Graduated high school

Profession/position: Editor and publisher of the newspaper Cachoeiras Jornal, based in Cachoeiras de Macacu, Rio de Janeiro. Contributor to the newspaper Nosso Jornal in São Gonçalo, Rio de Janeiro.

Journalistic background: At age 23 he was hired by the Rádio Difusora de Friburgo radio station in Rio de Janeiro state as an announcer. From 167 to 1972 he was a columnist and reporter for the newspaper Opinião Pública and wrote for O Fluminense, both in Niterói, Rio de Janeiro. He was press advisor to the Nicanor Ferreira government in São Gonçalo. From 1974 to 1976 he ran his own company, Efeito Publicidade. He worked at O Fluminense until 1980. At that time he founded the newspaper O Domingo and also worked as São Gonçalo secretary of information and tourism in the Jaime Campos government. In 1980, together with Fernando Vaqueiro he leased the newspaper O São Gonçalo. The lease lasted one year. From 1982 to 1984 he ran the ad agency Lobby. In 1985, he was named inland manager of O Fluminense, supervising the Rio de Janeiro state inland supplement from Niterói. He remained in this job until 1990, when he founded the newspaper Cachoeiras Jornal in Cachoeiras de Macacu, Rio de Janeiro.

Social activities/hobbies: He wrote poetry, read a lot and liked to walk in the countryside

Civic activities: In 1995, he founded and headed the São Gonçalo Research, Study and Development Institute (Ipedesg). He was a member of the Nova Estrela do Oriente Masonic Lodge in São Gonçalo.

Awards: He was recognized for his work as a journalist by the São Gonçalo press in 1971, 1972, 1973 and 1974. He received the "Best of the Press" award of the Associação Fluminense de Jornalistas in 1971. He also won an award in 1978 for his contribution to local education in São Gonçalo and was named "Spirit of Human Solidarity Personality of the Year" in 1994. His name is inscribed on a glass plaque at The Freedom Forum Journalists Memorial in Arlington, Virginia, along with those of 1,35 other journalists – 19 of them Brazilians murdered while doing their job.

(April 27, 1941 – August 29, 1995)

Date of murder:

August 29, 1995

Place and circumstances of murder: Reinaldo Coutinho da Silva was driving his Gol car along Edson Avenue in the Lindo Parque neighborhood of São Gonçalo around 7:30 a.m. on August 29, 1995, when he stopped at a red light at the 2818 block. A man fired 14 shots at him from another automobile.

Place of birth: Niterói, Rio de Janeiro

Age at death: 54

Marital status: Widower since 1986. His wife, Maria Gilda Henriques da Silva, died in a traffic accident. They were married for 25 years. He spent the remaining years of his life with Marilda da Silva Henriques.

Children (names and ages at the time of their father’s death): Mauro Ricardo Henriques da Silva, 31; José Ronaldo Henriques da Silva, 28; Karla Raquel Henriques da Silva, 16. Another son, Rogério Henriques da Silva, died aged 21 with his mother in a car accident in 1986

Education: Graduated high school

Profession/position: Editor and publisher of the newspaper Cachoeiras Jornal, based in Cachoeiras de Macacu, Rio de Janeiro. Contributor to the newspaper Nosso Jornal in São Gonçalo, Rio de Janeiro.

Journalistic background: At age 23 he was hired by the Rádio Difusora de Friburgo radio station in Rio de Janeiro state as an announcer. From 167 to 1972 he was a columnist and reporter for the newspaper Opinião Pública and wrote for O Fluminense, both in Niterói, Rio de Janeiro. He was press advisor to the Nicanor Ferreira government in São Gonçalo. From 1974 to 1976 he ran his own company, Efeito Publicidade. He worked at O Fluminense until 1980. At that time he founded the newspaper O Domingo and also worked as São Gonçalo secretary of information and tourism in the Jaime Campos government. In 1980, together with Fernando Vaqueiro he leased the newspaper O São Gonçalo. The lease lasted one year. From 1982 to 1984 he ran the ad agency Lobby. In 1985, he was named inland manager of O Fluminense, supervising the Rio de Janeiro state inland supplement from Niterói. He remained in this job until 1990, when he founded the newspaper Cachoeiras Jornal in Cachoeiras de Macacu, Rio de Janeiro.

Social activities/hobbies: He wrote poetry, read a lot and liked to walk in the countryside

Civic activities: In 1995, he founded and headed the São Gonçalo Research, Study and Development Institute (Ipedesg). He was a member of the Nova Estrela do Oriente Masonic Lodge in São Gonçalo.

Awards: He was recognized for his work as a journalist by the São Gonçalo press in 1971, 1972, 1973 and 1974. He received the "Best of the Press" award of the Associação Fluminense de Jornalistas in 1971. He also won an award in 1978 for his contribution to local education in São Gonçalo and was named "Spirit of Human Solidarity Personality of the Year" in 1994. His name is inscribed on a glass plaque at The Freedom Forum Journalists Memorial in Arlington, Virginia, along with those of 1,35 other journalists – 19 of them Brazilians murdered while doing their job.

History Case Summary

August 29, 1995 – Reinaldo Coutinho da Silva is murdered on his way to a meeting of Ipedesg (Research, Study and Development Institute of São Gonçalo) in São Gonçalo, Rio de Janeiro state. The 72nd Police Precinct of São Gonçalo takes up the investigation into the case.

August 30, 1995 – The president of the Rio de Janeiro State Journalists Union, Gentil da Costa Lima, sends a note to Public Safety Secretary Nilton Cerqueira calling for an investigation into the crime.

September 13, 1995 – The National Newspaper Association (ANJ), the National Federation of Professional Journalists (FENAJ) and the Inter American Press Association (IAPA) in a letter to Rio de Janeiro Governor Marcello Alencar ask for the murder to be solved immediately.

March 8, 1996 – Military Police Private José da Silva Filho is arrested in Cachoeiras de Macacu. A stolen Gol automobile with false license plates is found at his home. He is believed to have been involved in Coutinho da Silva’s murder, but there is no proof and he is freed.

October 1996 – Detective Inspector Jamil Warwar is named by Civil Police Chief Hélio Luz to head the Special Investigation Group set up with the aim of solving major crimes. One of the priorities is the Coutinho da Silva case.

August 2000 – The head of the Rio de Janeiro State Homicide Division, Paulo Passos, says he is going to follow up the investigation.

News

CIDH examinará denuncia por asesinato de periodista brasileño

Reports Cases

Publisher of Cachoeiras Jornal, Cachoeiras de Macacu, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

D.A. plans to resume Reinaldo Coutinho da Silva case

Judicial Proceedings

Editor and publisher of the newspaper Cachoeiras Jornal in Cachoeiras de Macacu, Rio de Janeiro, and a stringer for the newspaper Nosso Jornal in São Gonçalo.

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