The missing former lover of a top Brazilian football star was strangled and then fed to dogs

Eliza Samudio, 25, was a former girlfriend of Bruno Fernandes, goalkeeper for Flamengo, Brazil's most popular club. He handed himself into police after a warrant was issued for his arrest over her disappearance. Fernandes, 25, has denied any wrongdoing, but police say a teenage cousin of Fernandes has given evidence that the goalkeeper was involved in her kidnap and suspected murder. Samudio had said that the married footballer was the father of her baby. Police say Samudio was taken by force from a hotel in Rio de Janeiro on the day of her disappearance and was strangled in the city of Belo Horizonte. They say her body was cut up and parts were fed to dogs, while the rest was buried under concrete. Police have also arrested Fernandes's wife, Dayane Souza, and several of his friends. They say interrogation of the other suspects has backed up the account given by Fernandes's teenage cousin. Flamengo have suspended Fernandes's contract and say the club lawyer will no longer be acting in his defense. Fernandes has expressed regret that the allegations could damage his chances of playing for Brazil in the 2014 FIFA World Cup finals.