Aftermath of the murder of Brazillian soccer referee Otávio Jordão da Silva - VK Virals

A soccer referee was stabbed by a player and then lynched by a mob in Brazil. The referee had a knife and stabbed a player he had sent off. The players and fans then killed him and cut off his head. The police are investigating the case.

Soccer referee stabbed by player, then lynched by mob in Brazil

Brazilian police have detained one man and were seeking two others in the killing of a referee who was gruesomely quartered and beheaded after fatally stabbing a player on the field during a match.

Officer Valter Costa, who was heading the investigation into the June 30 slayings, said police have detained Luis Moraes Souza, 27, who is suspected of pummeling the referee over the head and smashing a bottle of cachaca sugarcane rum onto his face.

Souza's brother, Francisco, is among the two still being sought, Costa said. The match took place June 30 at Pius XII stadium in Maranhao, northeastern Brazil.

The slayings began after the 20-year-old referee, Otavio Jordao da Silva, expelled player Josemir Santos Abreu, 31, from an amateur match in the small town of Centro do Meio, in the northern state of Maranhao.

Angered by the expulsion, Abreu threw Silva to the ground. As he rose, Silva pulled a knife and stabbed Abreu in the chest, Costa said, and the player died on the way to the hospital.

Players and spectators then rushed Silva, tying him up by his arms and legs while Souza hit him over the head with a spike and then broke the bottle on his face. One of the suspects being sought, a man nicknamed 'Pirolo,' then took the knife that had been used to stab Abreu and stabbed the referee in the neck, said Costa.

It was not immediately clear why Silva had been carrying the knife in the first place.

Souza's brother Francisco then used a sickle to cut off Silva's arms, legs and head, which he placed on a spike in the middle of the field, Costa said. He added that Francisco may have been on drugs at the time.

The mob showed no mercy as they quartered and decapitated the referee and then placed his head on a stake.

Costa said violence was unusual in Centro de Meio, a remote rural community with little crime. He said those involved in the slayings were all from neighboring towns.

While violent clashes between rival fans is common in Brazil, the brutality of the killings in Centro de Meio sent shockwaves through Brazil, which last month played host to the Confederations Cup and is gearing up to host next year's World Cup soccer tournament.

Paulo Storani, a professor and security expert who spent three decades in Rio's police forces, called the slayings 'an isolated incident' and said they don't reflect on Brazil's ability to ensure security at during the World Cup.

'It's something that's completely out of the ordinary which took place in an isolated area of the poorest state in the country, an area where violence is very widespread,' said Storani. 'While it's true we are used to soccer violence in Brazil, this is completely off the charts of what we usually see.'

A video shows the damage the mob did to Catanhede Jordan, but it is exceptionally graphic. Valter Costa, police chief of Santa Ines, released a statement about the investigation.

'Reports of witnesses have indicated some people that were in place at the time of the fact,' he said. 'We will identify and hold accountable all those involved. A crime will never justify another. Actions like this do not collaborate with the legality of a state law.'

Watch Murder of Brazillian Soccer Referee Otávio Jordão Da Silva Video

Conclusion

The article tells the shocking story of how a soccer referee was killed by an angry mob after he stabbed a player during a match in Brazil. The referee, Otavio Jordao da Silva, had a knife with him and used it to defend himself from a player he had sent off, Josemir Santos Abreu. Abreu died from his wound and the players and spectators then attacked Silva. They beat him, stabbed him, cut off his limbs and head and put his head on a stick in the middle of the field. The police have arrested one suspect, Luis Moraes Souza, and are looking for two others, Francisco Moraes Souza and Pirolo. The incident happened in a poor and remote area of Brazil, which is preparing to host the World Cup next year. A security expert said this was an isolated case and not a reflection of Brazil’s ability to ensure security during the tournament.