A man named Lucas Gomes Vaz has been convicted and sentenced to four years in prison for the murder of Antônio Assunção da Silva, aged 50, who was brutally killed with axe blows in Sena Madureira, Acre in 2022. The court found that he should serve his sentence in an open regime and mandated that he pay five minimum wages as compensation for moral and material damages to the victim's family. His defense attorney has expressed that they are currently considering whether or not to appeal the decision.

The judge, Eder Jacoboski Viegas, imposed a legal minimum sentence for simple homicide, which is typically six years of imprisonment. However, the judge recognized that the crime was committed while the accused was intoxicated, which he considered as a mitigating circumstance. Consequently, this led to a reduction of the sentence by one third, resulting in the four-year prison term.

This decision sheds light on the legal considerations concerning cases of homicide in Brazil, especially where mitigating factors such as intoxication are involved. The move to impose a reduced sentence raises questions about justice for victims and accountability for violent crimes, prompting potential discussions on legal reforms to address homicide penalties and the treatment of offenders under similar circumstances.