October 24, 2025 • 30 mins
In 2002, Brazil was shaken by a crime so chilling it defied belief — the brutal murder of Manfred and Marísia von Richthofen by their own daughter, Suzane. Born into privilege, Suzane appeared to have it all — wealth, education, and a promising future — until she met Daniel Cravinhos, a young man from a very different world. Together, they plotted a cold-blooded massacre, silencing the very people who raised her. What began as teenage rebellion spiraled into one of the most haunting family murders in Brazilian history.
In this episode, you’ll learn how love turned to manipulation, how greed disguised itself as freedom, and how investigators unraveled the staged “robbery” that fooled no one. We’ll explore Suzane’s cold composure during the investigation, her shocking courtroom behavior, and how she later reinvented herself after prison. Was she a victim of control — or the mastermind of evil? By the end, you’ll see why the name Suzane von Richthofen still sends chills through Brazil decades later.
In this episode, you’ll learn how love turned to manipulation, how greed disguised itself as freedom, and how investigators unraveled the staged “robbery” that fooled no one. We’ll explore Suzane’s cold composure during the investigation, her shocking courtroom behavior, and how she later reinvented herself after prison. Was she a victim of control — or the mastermind of evil? By the end, you’ll see why the name Suzane von Richthofen still sends chills through Brazil decades later.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
In the dead of night, an upscale Sampaolo home was destroyed.
A well off nuclear family was torn apart when a
killer entered and left behind a scene of such horror
that it will be talked about for months. Two lives
ended brutally and one was mysteriously spared. The daughter alone, grieving,
(00:21):
left to pick up the pieces of what was lost.
But something doesn't add up. Why was she untouched? Why
does she seem so calm? And wait, what is she
doing hanging out with the very man who murdered her parents?
This is not what you expected. A late night break
in alarms turned off, parents murdered while the children remained safe.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
He said, I can dang it orgie. I mean in
a beIN asi that kiaks the spies to burg youku
such for God this bit ivle trevist.
Speaker 3 (01:03):
Furbo for marvintur. Suzan ivon histafing no fe fasud asravientin
discomi denivalu du barni amiguda familia histafin alvista.
Speaker 1 (01:24):
How did we even get here? Let's rewind. Born into
privilege and prestige. Suzan von Richtofen was the daughter of
Manfred von Richtofen, a respected German engineer and state executive,
and Mauritia von Richtofen, a Brazilian psychiatrist of Lebanese and
Italian descent. Suzanne studied law at the Pontifical Catholic University
(01:49):
of Saint Paulo and by all appearances lived a disciplined
life alongside her younger brother Andreas. But beneath the surface,
cracks were forming Suzanne von when Richthoven met the man
of her dreams when she was just a teenager. He
was older, charming, wild in a way that probably felt
thrilling to someone raised in such a strict structured home.
(02:13):
He rode a motorcycle, had tattoos, and didn't seem to
care what anyone thought. It was the kind of rebellion
that felt like freedom. It all began with an innocent
walk through Iberra Putra Park a sunny afternoon in August
nineteen ninety nine, Manfred and Mauricia Richthoven strolled through the
(02:33):
trees with their children, Suzanne and little Andreas. That's when
fate stepped in. They crossed paths with a young man
named Daniel Cravignos, a lean, soft spoken arrow modeling enthusiast,
flying his hand crafted airplanes. Andreas, intrigued, asked to learn more.
(02:53):
The Richthovens agreed. Daniel became a regular at their home.
He was patient, with Andreas, treating him like a kid brother,
taking him biking, racing model cars, talking dreams. It all
seemed so wholesome, but behind the charm, something darker was brewing.
According to friends, Andreas actually helped his sister get closer
(03:15):
to Daniel. It started with a note passed through Andreas,
and suddenly Daniel wasn't just the boy teaching model airplanes,
he was Suzanne's boyfriend. At first, Manfred and Mauricia weren't
concerned teen love. They thought it'll pass, but it didn't.
(03:35):
Andreas continued tagging along, and then it spiraled into a
parent's worst nightmare. Andreas once hid in the trunk of
Daniel's car to sneak into a love hotel with his
sister and Daniel. He smoked cannabis with them in public parks.
They introduced him to marijuana for the first time. He
(03:56):
wasn't just a little brother anymore. He was a witness
to everything. Suzanne and Daniel quickly became inseparable. By the
age of sixteen, she'd lost her virginity to him. They
started smoking weed daily, experimenting with ecstasy. She stopped attending parties,
stopped seeing her friends unless Daniel came too. By the
(04:18):
time she entered law school at Pukie, Daniel was practically
glued to her side, even accompanying her class to legal
forums and state assemblies. Classmates called them obsessive. Daniel's own
friends said he began missing training sessions just to be
with her. His bedroom at home told the whole story,
dozens of photos of them together, stuffed animals, a pillow
(04:41):
with her face printed on it. It wasn't just young love,
it was obsession, and obviously, Manfred and Mauricia were growing uneasy.
Daniel's lifestyle raised red flags. He scraped by building and
selling one or two airplanes a month. He couldn't support himself,
let alone a future family, and his brother Christian was
(05:04):
even worse, battling cocaine addiction, indebted to drug dealers, and
working as a police informant. When Suzanne started asking for
extra money to lend to a friend, her father grew suspicious.
He discovered she was spending it all on Daniel, gifts, clothes, loans,
They tried to intervene and begged her to break up
(05:25):
with him, warned her about his drug use, but by
then she was in too deep. Desperate to stay with Daniel,
Suzanne began lying to her parents, telling them she was
going to study with friends, while sneaking off to love hotels.
Her friends covered for her until one night her mother
called to check in. The lie crumbled. Mauricia confronted her daughter.
(05:49):
The next morning, Suzanne admitted everything. That's when they made
a decision enough was enough. Daniel was banned from their
daughter's lifefe Suzanne promised to end it. She even removed
the ring Daniel had given her, but behind their backs,
the relationship continued. But this is when she grew distant.
(06:11):
Gone were the long chats with her mother, Gone was
the closeness she once had with her family. Every visit
with Daniel ended in a screaming match in July two
thousand and two, while her parents were away for a month,
and for Suzan the experience was a dream, just her
(06:32):
and Daniel living as if they were free. When Manfred
and Mauricia returned, Suzan demanded that her father buy her
an apartment so that she could live with her boyfriend
comfortably appalled at the entitlement, Manfred refused. She needed to
finish her degree, get a job, and do it herself.
(06:52):
He argued. Suzan was not having it. She didn't just
want freedom, she wanted them gone. By September two thousand
and two, things had spiraled. The police were called to
the richtofenhome three times to break up fights between Manfred
and Daniel. The last time they arrived at two a m.
(07:13):
In the quiet neighborhood of Campobello. Manfred, furious stood at
the gate in slippers and a crumpled shirt, yelling at Daniel.
Suzanne tried to play peacemaker, but the rage was visible.
I'm going to beat this kid up, Manfred told officers.
Daniel shot back, I feel like beating this old man.
(07:34):
What the police didn't know was that this tension was
just the surface of a volcano, and it was about
to erupt. At her parents funeral, Suzanne appeared devastated, dressed
in black head low and with Daniel at her side,
the same ring her father had begged her to take off,
now glinting on her finger. To the world, she was
(07:56):
the grieving daughter. But inside that church, standing over the
bodies of her murdered parents. Suzanne was already a killer
Daniel once her entire world would soon begin to drift.
A letter he wrote to her in two thousand and
four read, I don't know why you don't talk to
my parents or me anymore? Could it be that you
(08:18):
don't trust me anymore? Their love once the spark that
ignited the murder was already fading, and the truth it
was about to explode. Twas the night before Halloween October thirtieth,
two thousand and two, when what began as a teenage
romance spiraled into one of Brazil's most haunting and calculated
(08:40):
family murders. The air was thick with tension as Suzanne
and Daniel Cravignos reviewed their plan one final time. It
wasn't a decision made in the heat of passion or
during a sudden outburst. This was meticulous, methodical, cold. They
had already toyed with the idea of using a gun,
(09:01):
even testing the sound it would make days prior, but
it was too loud and too risky. They needed silence,
something up close and personal. They decided on hollow iron bars.
Earlier that day, they had spoken with Daniel's brother, Christian Kravignos,
still on the fence. Christian wasn't sure if he had
(09:22):
the stomach to go through with it, but Daniel gave
him the address and instructions. If he wanted in, he
had to wait by a specific street near an internet
cafe where they'd be dropping off Susan's fifteen year old brother, Andreas. Andreas,
innocent and unaware, was lured away with a sweet deception.
His sister promised him a fun night at the cafe,
(09:45):
telling him they'd be celebrating her birthday at a motel
and that she'd even convince their parents to let him
skip school the next day, a night off from homework,
a slice of freedom. He had no idea he was
being removed from the the chessboard. Christian arrived at the
cafe first at ten twelve p m. And left before
(10:06):
Andreas could spot him. An hour later, the trio Suzanne, Daniel,
and Christian met near by, slipped into Suzanne's car, and
headed toward the von Richtofen mansion. Suzanne had prepared everything
in the days leading up to the murder. She had
already disabled the alarm system and turned off the security cameras.
(10:30):
There would be no footage, no evidence of their arrival.
The house, normally a fortress, was left wide open for slaughter.
Just after midnight, they pulled into the garage. The murder
weapons were already hidden in the car. Daniel and Christian
changed into sweatshirts and women's tights, cheap attempts at forensics proofing.
(10:54):
Suzanne led them inside quietly, turned on the hallway light
and pointed them upstairs. Her parents, Manfred and Mauricia, lay sleeping.
She handed them garbage bags, surgical gloves, and plastic to
wrap their weapons. Then she disappeared into the lower floor,
far from the bloodbath to come. The two brothers entered
(11:16):
the bedroom like shadows. Daniel turned to Manfred, Christian to Mauricia.
The first blows landed hard and fast. Manfred died immediately,
but Mauricia fought back. She screamed, she clawed. Three of
her fingers broke as she raised her hands to protect herself.
(11:37):
She begged them to spare her children, unaware one of
them had invited death through her front door. They stood
over the bodies, breathless and bloodied. Daniel placed Manfred's own
revolver beside his lifeless hand, draped a towel over his face.
It was all a performance. Suzanne had left a trash
(11:57):
bag on the staircase. The brothers shoved their clothes and
the murder weapons inside. They scrubbed the iron bars in
the swimming pool, washing away the gore. Meanwhile, Suzan rated
her parents' bedroom. She knew the code to her father's
leather briefcase. Inside were eight thousand rias, six thousand euros
(12:19):
and five thousand euros dollars. She took it all. Then,
to stage the scene as a robbery, Daniel slashed the
briefcase open with a knife. They left jewels scattered untouched,
and the revolver, the very one Daniel had just used
as a prop, conveniently placed near the body for Christian's help.
(12:40):
He was given his cut, cash and jewelry before being
dropped near his grandmother's apartment. Then came the final act,
the alibi. Suzan and Daniel headed to the Colonial motel
on Avenita Ricardo Jaffe, booking the presidential suite. They paid
about three hundred rhaia eyes, ordered a coke and a
(13:02):
ham sandwich. Daniel even requested a receipt, his very first
one from a motel the time stamp showed timings between
one thirty six am to two fifty six am. Afterwards,
they returned to the cafe and picked up Andreas. As
part of the plan, they brought him home, pretending to
(13:22):
be shocked by the open doors. Inside, Suzanne handed her
little brother a kitchen knife and told him to wait outside.
She made calls to her boyfriend, then to her house.
No answer. They kept calling, or should we say performing.
At exactly four o nine am, Daniel called the police.
(13:44):
He claimed he was outside his girlfriend's house and believed
there had been a robbery. Officer Alexandre Paulino Boto was
the first to respond. He described the crime scene as
amateur jewelry. Phones, even a gun were left behind. A
thief wouldn't leave a weapon on the floor. He noted
he was more disturbed by Suzanne's emotionless face. As the
(14:08):
clock ticked past four thirty a m. The crime scene
at the von Richthoven mansion was still thick with eerie silence.
The possibility of a thief still lurking in the shadows
hung over them like a fog, But nothing in the
house prepared them for what they were about to find. Downstairs,
the library was in shambles, books toppled, papers, scattered, furniture
(14:33):
up ended a clumsy attempt at staging a break in
the living room and kitchen, by contrast, were immaculate and untouched.
The officers ascended the staircase, the heavy stillness of the
upper floor pushing down on them. They stepped into what
was clearly a girl's room, likely Suzanne's. Her closet had
(14:55):
been turned over, stuffed animals flung across the floor like
a mockery of lost innocence. Next, a tidy room with
a model airplane suspended from the ceiling. Young Andreas's room untouched,
all most peaceful, save for three pillows oddly arranged under
a sheet, a feeble attempt to suggest he'd been asleep
(15:18):
there all along, but nothing prepared Bodo for what he saw.
Next they opened the door to the master bedroom. Manfred
von Richthofen lay motionless on the bed, a revolver placed
carefully by his hand. At first glance, it might have
looked like suicide, but something felt off. Then Bodo pulled
back the sheets. There was a second body, Mauricia, hidden
(15:42):
under the covers. Suicide was ruled out immediately. This wasn't
a robbery gone wrong or a tragic murder suicide. This
was a double homicide. The officers, fearing the psychological shock
that might follow for the two teenagers outside, quickly called
for a rescue vehicle. It was now close to dawn.
(16:03):
In a bizarre twist, Daniel's family had already arrived at
the mansion, offering comfort and warmth. Daniel, playing his part,
was asked to break the news to Suzan and Andreas.
He gathered them close, whispered, and the trio bowed their
heads together. Andreas quietly drifted from the group, seemingly in
(16:23):
a fog of confusion and grief. Meanwhile, Suzanne asked what
procedures we were going to take, not what happened, not
if her parents were okay. When Bodo told her, perhaps instinctively,
they're fine, she looked stunned. How she asked. Daniel arrived
soon after, asking oddly specific questions. Was anything taken? Was
(16:47):
the briefcase with the cash missing? The couple's masks eventually slipped,
but not before they tried to write the ending themselves,
a story of robbery of coincidence, but no thief had
come for them. Von Richthoven's that night their own daughter
had By five a m. The media was already buzzing
(17:07):
outside Astro Gildo Cravignos. Daniel and Christian's father stepped forward
giving statements to the press, while the children of the
murdered couple were taken to the police station. The tragedy
was quickly turning into a circus, but the most disturbing
scenes were yet to unfold. Inside the police station, while
(17:29):
the air hung heavy with tension and trauma, Suzanne leaned
comfortably against Daniel's shoulder and took a nap. Andreas, in
stark contrast, looked shattered, curled in on himself, silent, shaken,
processing what his fifteen year old mind could barely comprehend. Meanwhile,
(17:49):
Suzanne and Daniel exchanged affectionate touches, like giddy teenagers at
a sleepover, not just once over and over cuddles, whispers, kisses,
right there in front of the police officers, the witnesses,
the press, as if nothing had happened, as if they
hadn't orchestrated every moment of the night before. As they
(18:13):
filed their official statement, Suzan turned to the police chief,
doctor Enjolras Relo, de Araujo. Her voice soft, almost playful,
she declared, I would like you to kill and torture
these people that killed my parents. Then she smiled at Daniel.
It was a smile that haunted everyone in the room,
(18:35):
because in that single glance, filled with irony, audacity, and
cold delight, it became clear she wasn't mourning. She was performing.
From the very beginning, the scene inside the von Richthofen
mansion didn't add up. To the seasoned investigators of the
Homicide and Personal Protection Department d HPP. This was isn't
(19:00):
the work of professional burglars. It was the clumsy staging
of a crime meant to look like a robbery, but
something was off. Too Many things were left behind, expensive jewelry,
scattered but untouched, electronics in plain sight, a revolver placed
delicately next to a corpse. It all screamed performance, and
(19:22):
the detectives knew when a crime scene looks too carefully crafted,
it usually is. So the investigation zeroed in not on strangers,
but on the people closest to the victims, the children,
the maid, Mauricia's patience, Manfred's colleagues, and one name, one
connection stood out more than any other. Daniel Cravinos, Suzanne's boyfriend.
(19:48):
It didn't take long for the detectives to start peeling
back the layers of that relationship. According to close family friends,
Manfred and Mauricia had strongly disapproved of the romance. Manfred,
an engineer with conservative values, had a particular distaste for Daniel,
who came from a very different social world and had
(20:10):
a less than promising future. Under her mother's insistence, Suzanne
had even broken up with Daniel once before, only to
rekindle the flame in secret. That secret, it seemed, had
become dangerous. On November fourth, two thousand and two, Suzanne
was summoned for a second round of questioning. She arrived
(20:30):
at the d h p P with the same composed
demeanor she'd shown in earlier days. Cool, calm, almost calculated.
Investigators weren't looking for tears, they were looking for cracks.
The interrogation lasted around two hours. The goal was to
sift through her earlier statements and catch any inconsistencies. Investigators
(20:55):
noted her tone, her choice of words, her body language.
Suzanne laid her part, but her composure was too perfect,
and when a grieving daughter keeps her story straighter than
the police expect Suspicion only grows. Then came the twist
no one expected. While the detectives were tightening their circle,
(21:17):
a new lead emerged. Christian Kravignos, Daniel's older brother, had
recently bought himself a brand new motorcycle. It was flashy, expensive,
and deeply suspicious just days after the double murder. How
could he suddenly afford such a purchase. The investigators didn't hesitate.
(21:39):
They brought Christian in for questioning, and at the same
time Daniel, Suzanne's boyfriend, had been under scrutiny since day one,
but now the walls were truly closing in, and then
the house of cards collapsed. On November eighth, two thousand
and two. All three, Christian, Daniel, and Suzanne confessed. It
(22:00):
was unexpected. A daughter, privileged and poised, had plotted the
cold blooded murder of her own parents, the kind of
betrayal that doesn't just shake a family, it shakes an
entire nation. Nearly four years after Manfred and Marisia von
Richthoven were bludgeoned to death in their sleep, the courtroom
(22:23):
became the final stage for one of Brazil's most infamous
murder trials. The eyes of a nation turned to Sampaulo.
On July seventeenth, two thousand and six, as the trial
of Suzanne von Richthoven, her boyfriend Daniel Kravignos, and his
brother Christian Kravinos commenced. What followed was five days of
(22:44):
psychological warfare, courtroom theatrics, tearful breakdowns, and brutal revelations. Originally
scheduled for June fifth, two thousand and six, the trial
had already faced disruption. The Kravigno's brother's lawyers didn't apear
in court, claiming they hadn't had adequate time to prepare.
(23:04):
Shortly after, Suzanne's own defense team withdrew over a missing witness.
Delays were piling up, but the judge wasn't going to
let this trial collapse again. With a back up defense
team appointed and house arrest lifted from Suzanne, the court
reconvened a month later, ready for war. From the outset,
(23:26):
Suzanne's testimony tried to shift blame entirely onto the Kravignos brothers.
She claimed to have been high on the night of
the murders, unaware of any murder plot, and painted herself
as a manipulated, naive girl entangled with an overly jealous boyfriend.
She said Daniel tried to kill himself over their long
(23:47):
distance relationship, and that she had funded his lifestyle with
her parents' money. At one point, she claimed people at
their model airplane club called her the golden goose of
the Kravinos family. But Daniel had a different version, one
that would devastate Suzanne's narrative. According to him, she was
(24:09):
the mastermind. He said Suzayne had long fantasized about a
life free of her parents' rules and punishments, even claiming
she had suffered physical and sexual abuse at their hands,
allegations she would later deny. Christian, trying to reduce Daniel's culpability,
claimed only his brother had committed the murders, but this story, too,
(24:34):
would change in the days to come. Then, Andreas von Richthofen,
the youngest in the family, took the stand. His voice,
though steady, echoed devastation. He denied any abuse from their
parents and insisted their family was normal. Andreas revealed that
he was emotionally manipulated into forgiving his sister something he
(24:58):
deeply regretted. He did believe her repentance. He feared her.
They say she's a psychopath. I don't know, but you
can expect anything from a person like that. Suzan had
even tried to blame the murder weapon on him, a
blatant lie, Andreas claimed. Police Chief Cinthia to Kunduva Gomez
(25:20):
testified that the killings were likely simultaneous, discrediting Christian's earlier
version of Daniel acting alone and even more chilling, after
her confession, Suzanne had calmly combed her hair and asked
Daniel if she looked pretty for her mugshot. Nadia Cravinos,
the mother of Daniel and Christian, gave a tearful, complicated testimony.
(25:46):
She spoke of her shame, forgiveness, and the manipulation of
her sons. She claimed Manfred and Mauricia were abusive alcoholics
and backed the theory of essay. Hours later, Christian recant
his earlier statements, now admitting he had struck Mauricia himself
and that Suzanne had orchestrated the entire plan. She'd told
(26:09):
them she had no life under her parents and claimed
her father tried to essay her when she was thirteen.
Christian sobbed as he recalled her words, after the murders,
you didn't take anything from me. You gave me a
new life. The fourth day brought forensic photos that left
the courtroom shaken. The brutality of the crime became undeniable. Suzanne, Daniel,
(26:35):
and Christian all turned their backs to avoid the images
of Manfred's mutilated face and Mauricia's slow, agonizing death. Love
letters between Suzanne and Daniel were read aloud, filled with
intimate nicknames and declarations. Daniel wept, Suzanne stayed stone faced,
(26:56):
turning her chair away from her former lover. Her detector
was glaring. The prosecution emphasized how quickly the trio moved
on after the murder. Daniel and Suzanne kissed passionately at
the police station, while Christian celebrated with a barbecue and
a motorcycle purchase. In the early hours of July twenty second,
(27:18):
two thousand and six, Judge Alberto Anderson Philo announced the verdicts.
Suzan varn Richthofen was convicted of double homicide, deemed cold,
calculating and fully responsible for the crime. Daniel and Christian
Kravignos were also found guilty, not as manipulated pawns, but
(27:38):
as willing executioners. Suzan got thirty nine years and six
months in prison. Daniel Krevinhaus got thirty nine years and
six months. Christian Cravignos got thirty eight years and six months.
A chilling irony hung in the air, the very inheritance
Suzan hoped to unlock with her parents deaths would now
(28:01):
fund her prison meals. After her arrest and conviction, Suzanne
spent sixteen years behind bars at the Penitentiaria Feminina Santa
Maria Euphracia Pelletier in Tremembe, San Paulo. On January eleventh,
twenty twenty three, she was released on probation and slipped
(28:23):
into a quieter life, at least temporarily.
Speaker 3 (28:26):
Jimos dad Fala So Gravinos No Nna, Susanni, Ola Parabarni
and Trevista Manipulad.
Speaker 1 (28:49):
She initially retreated to rural Ange Tuba, where some of
her ex boyfriend's relatives resided, living largely out of the
public eye, but it didn't last long. Just a month later,
Suzanne re entered headlines when she launched an online store,
drawing sharp public criticism for trying to profit from a
life forever associated with one of Brazil's most infamous crimes.
(29:15):
Now living in Braganza Pallista, Suzan has taken on a
new identity, literally and figuratively. She entered a relationship with
local doctor Philippe Zecchini Munis, a divorced father of three,
and in March twenty twenty three became pregnant with their
first child. She gave birth to a baby boy named
(29:37):
Felipe at Sabin Hospital in Atabaya. In a move many
saw as an attempt to distance herself from her past,
Suzan legally changed her name to Suzan Luise Magnani Munis,
adopting her maternal grandmother's surname and that of her partner.
And yet one haunting truth remains. A daughter born into
(30:01):
wealth and opportunity traded it all for a twisted fantasy
of freedom. Was it manipulation, greed, trauma or pure evil?
Whatever the answer, the von Richthoven murders remain one of
Brazil's darkest tales, not just because of the crime, but
because of why it was committed.
In the dead of night, an upscale Sampaolo home was destroyed.
A well off nuclear family was torn apart when a
killer entered and left behind a scene of such horror
that it will be talked about for months. Two lives
ended brutally and one was mysteriously spared. The daughter alone, grieving,
(00:21):
left to pick up the pieces of what was lost.
But something doesn't add up. Why was she untouched? Why
does she seem so calm? And wait, what is she
doing hanging out with the very man who murdered her parents?
This is not what you expected. A late night break
in alarms turned off, parents murdered while the children remained safe.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
He said, I can dang it orgie. I mean in
a beIN asi that kiaks the spies to burg youku
such for God this bit ivle trevist.
Speaker 3 (01:03):
Furbo for marvintur. Suzan ivon histafing no fe fasud asravientin
discomi denivalu du barni amiguda familia histafin alvista.
Speaker 1 (01:24):
How did we even get here? Let's rewind. Born into
privilege and prestige. Suzan von Richtofen was the daughter of
Manfred von Richtofen, a respected German engineer and state executive,
and Mauritia von Richtofen, a Brazilian psychiatrist of Lebanese and
Italian descent. Suzanne studied law at the Pontifical Catholic University
(01:49):
of Saint Paulo and by all appearances lived a disciplined
life alongside her younger brother Andreas. But beneath the surface,
cracks were forming Suzanne von when Richthoven met the man
of her dreams when she was just a teenager. He
was older, charming, wild in a way that probably felt
thrilling to someone raised in such a strict structured home.
(02:13):
He rode a motorcycle, had tattoos, and didn't seem to
care what anyone thought. It was the kind of rebellion
that felt like freedom. It all began with an innocent
walk through Iberra Putra Park a sunny afternoon in August
nineteen ninety nine, Manfred and Mauricia Richthoven strolled through the
(02:33):
trees with their children, Suzanne and little Andreas. That's when
fate stepped in. They crossed paths with a young man
named Daniel Cravignos, a lean, soft spoken arrow modeling enthusiast,
flying his hand crafted airplanes. Andreas, intrigued, asked to learn more.
(02:53):
The Richthovens agreed. Daniel became a regular at their home.
He was patient, with Andreas, treating him like a kid brother,
taking him biking, racing model cars, talking dreams. It all
seemed so wholesome, but behind the charm, something darker was brewing.
According to friends, Andreas actually helped his sister get closer
(03:15):
to Daniel. It started with a note passed through Andreas,
and suddenly Daniel wasn't just the boy teaching model airplanes,
he was Suzanne's boyfriend. At first, Manfred and Mauricia weren't
concerned teen love. They thought it'll pass, but it didn't.
(03:35):
Andreas continued tagging along, and then it spiraled into a
parent's worst nightmare. Andreas once hid in the trunk of
Daniel's car to sneak into a love hotel with his
sister and Daniel. He smoked cannabis with them in public parks.
They introduced him to marijuana for the first time. He
(03:56):
wasn't just a little brother anymore. He was a witness
to everything. Suzanne and Daniel quickly became inseparable. By the
age of sixteen, she'd lost her virginity to him. They
started smoking weed daily, experimenting with ecstasy. She stopped attending parties,
stopped seeing her friends unless Daniel came too. By the
(04:18):
time she entered law school at Pukie, Daniel was practically
glued to her side, even accompanying her class to legal
forums and state assemblies. Classmates called them obsessive. Daniel's own
friends said he began missing training sessions just to be
with her. His bedroom at home told the whole story,
dozens of photos of them together, stuffed animals, a pillow
(04:41):
with her face printed on it. It wasn't just young love,
it was obsession, and obviously, Manfred and Mauricia were growing uneasy.
Daniel's lifestyle raised red flags. He scraped by building and
selling one or two airplanes a month. He couldn't support himself,
let alone a future family, and his brother Christian was
(05:04):
even worse, battling cocaine addiction, indebted to drug dealers, and
working as a police informant. When Suzanne started asking for
extra money to lend to a friend, her father grew suspicious.
He discovered she was spending it all on Daniel, gifts, clothes, loans,
They tried to intervene and begged her to break up
(05:25):
with him, warned her about his drug use, but by
then she was in too deep. Desperate to stay with Daniel,
Suzanne began lying to her parents, telling them she was
going to study with friends, while sneaking off to love hotels.
Her friends covered for her until one night her mother
called to check in. The lie crumbled. Mauricia confronted her daughter.
(05:49):
The next morning, Suzanne admitted everything. That's when they made
a decision enough was enough. Daniel was banned from their
daughter's lifefe Suzanne promised to end it. She even removed
the ring Daniel had given her, but behind their backs,
the relationship continued. But this is when she grew distant.
(06:11):
Gone were the long chats with her mother, Gone was
the closeness she once had with her family. Every visit
with Daniel ended in a screaming match in July two
thousand and two, while her parents were away for a month,
and for Suzan the experience was a dream, just her
(06:32):
and Daniel living as if they were free. When Manfred
and Mauricia returned, Suzan demanded that her father buy her
an apartment so that she could live with her boyfriend
comfortably appalled at the entitlement, Manfred refused. She needed to
finish her degree, get a job, and do it herself.
(06:52):
He argued. Suzan was not having it. She didn't just
want freedom, she wanted them gone. By September two thousand
and two, things had spiraled. The police were called to
the richtofenhome three times to break up fights between Manfred
and Daniel. The last time they arrived at two a m.
(07:13):
In the quiet neighborhood of Campobello. Manfred, furious stood at
the gate in slippers and a crumpled shirt, yelling at Daniel.
Suzanne tried to play peacemaker, but the rage was visible.
I'm going to beat this kid up, Manfred told officers.
Daniel shot back, I feel like beating this old man.
(07:34):
What the police didn't know was that this tension was
just the surface of a volcano, and it was about
to erupt. At her parents funeral, Suzanne appeared devastated, dressed
in black head low and with Daniel at her side,
the same ring her father had begged her to take off,
now glinting on her finger. To the world, she was
(07:56):
the grieving daughter. But inside that church, standing over the
bodies of her murdered parents. Suzanne was already a killer
Daniel once her entire world would soon begin to drift.
A letter he wrote to her in two thousand and
four read, I don't know why you don't talk to
my parents or me anymore? Could it be that you
(08:18):
don't trust me anymore? Their love once the spark that
ignited the murder was already fading, and the truth it
was about to explode. Twas the night before Halloween October thirtieth,
two thousand and two, when what began as a teenage
romance spiraled into one of Brazil's most haunting and calculated
(08:40):
family murders. The air was thick with tension as Suzanne
and Daniel Cravignos reviewed their plan one final time. It
wasn't a decision made in the heat of passion or
during a sudden outburst. This was meticulous, methodical, cold. They
had already toyed with the idea of using a gun,
(09:01):
even testing the sound it would make days prior, but
it was too loud and too risky. They needed silence,
something up close and personal. They decided on hollow iron bars.
Earlier that day, they had spoken with Daniel's brother, Christian Kravignos,
still on the fence. Christian wasn't sure if he had
(09:22):
the stomach to go through with it, but Daniel gave
him the address and instructions. If he wanted in, he
had to wait by a specific street near an internet
cafe where they'd be dropping off Susan's fifteen year old brother, Andreas. Andreas,
innocent and unaware, was lured away with a sweet deception.
His sister promised him a fun night at the cafe,
(09:45):
telling him they'd be celebrating her birthday at a motel
and that she'd even convince their parents to let him
skip school the next day, a night off from homework,
a slice of freedom. He had no idea he was
being removed from the the chessboard. Christian arrived at the
cafe first at ten twelve p m. And left before
(10:06):
Andreas could spot him. An hour later, the trio Suzanne, Daniel,
and Christian met near by, slipped into Suzanne's car, and
headed toward the von Richtofen mansion. Suzanne had prepared everything
in the days leading up to the murder. She had
already disabled the alarm system and turned off the security cameras.
(10:30):
There would be no footage, no evidence of their arrival.
The house, normally a fortress, was left wide open for slaughter.
Just after midnight, they pulled into the garage. The murder
weapons were already hidden in the car. Daniel and Christian
changed into sweatshirts and women's tights, cheap attempts at forensics proofing.
(10:54):
Suzanne led them inside quietly, turned on the hallway light
and pointed them upstairs. Her parents, Manfred and Mauricia, lay sleeping.
She handed them garbage bags, surgical gloves, and plastic to
wrap their weapons. Then she disappeared into the lower floor,
far from the bloodbath to come. The two brothers entered
(11:16):
the bedroom like shadows. Daniel turned to Manfred, Christian to Mauricia.
The first blows landed hard and fast. Manfred died immediately,
but Mauricia fought back. She screamed, she clawed. Three of
her fingers broke as she raised her hands to protect herself.
(11:37):
She begged them to spare her children, unaware one of
them had invited death through her front door. They stood
over the bodies, breathless and bloodied. Daniel placed Manfred's own
revolver beside his lifeless hand, draped a towel over his face.
It was all a performance. Suzanne had left a trash
(11:57):
bag on the staircase. The brothers shoved their clothes and
the murder weapons inside. They scrubbed the iron bars in
the swimming pool, washing away the gore. Meanwhile, Suzan rated
her parents' bedroom. She knew the code to her father's
leather briefcase. Inside were eight thousand rias, six thousand euros
(12:19):
and five thousand euros dollars. She took it all. Then,
to stage the scene as a robbery, Daniel slashed the
briefcase open with a knife. They left jewels scattered untouched,
and the revolver, the very one Daniel had just used
as a prop, conveniently placed near the body for Christian's help.
(12:40):
He was given his cut, cash and jewelry before being
dropped near his grandmother's apartment. Then came the final act,
the alibi. Suzan and Daniel headed to the Colonial motel
on Avenita Ricardo Jaffe, booking the presidential suite. They paid
about three hundred rhaia eyes, ordered a coke and a
(13:02):
ham sandwich. Daniel even requested a receipt, his very first
one from a motel the time stamp showed timings between
one thirty six am to two fifty six am. Afterwards,
they returned to the cafe and picked up Andreas. As
part of the plan, they brought him home, pretending to
(13:22):
be shocked by the open doors. Inside, Suzanne handed her
little brother a kitchen knife and told him to wait outside.
She made calls to her boyfriend, then to her house.
No answer. They kept calling, or should we say performing.
At exactly four o nine am, Daniel called the police.
(13:44):
He claimed he was outside his girlfriend's house and believed
there had been a robbery. Officer Alexandre Paulino Boto was
the first to respond. He described the crime scene as
amateur jewelry. Phones, even a gun were left behind. A
thief wouldn't leave a weapon on the floor. He noted
he was more disturbed by Suzanne's emotionless face. As the
(14:08):
clock ticked past four thirty a m. The crime scene
at the von Richthoven mansion was still thick with eerie silence.
The possibility of a thief still lurking in the shadows
hung over them like a fog, But nothing in the
house prepared them for what they were about to find. Downstairs,
the library was in shambles, books toppled, papers, scattered, furniture
(14:33):
up ended a clumsy attempt at staging a break in
the living room and kitchen, by contrast, were immaculate and untouched.
The officers ascended the staircase, the heavy stillness of the
upper floor pushing down on them. They stepped into what
was clearly a girl's room, likely Suzanne's. Her closet had
(14:55):
been turned over, stuffed animals flung across the floor like
a mockery of lost innocence. Next, a tidy room with
a model airplane suspended from the ceiling. Young Andreas's room untouched,
all most peaceful, save for three pillows oddly arranged under
a sheet, a feeble attempt to suggest he'd been asleep
(15:18):
there all along, but nothing prepared Bodo for what he saw.
Next they opened the door to the master bedroom. Manfred
von Richthofen lay motionless on the bed, a revolver placed
carefully by his hand. At first glance, it might have
looked like suicide, but something felt off. Then Bodo pulled
back the sheets. There was a second body, Mauricia, hidden
(15:42):
under the covers. Suicide was ruled out immediately. This wasn't
a robbery gone wrong or a tragic murder suicide. This
was a double homicide. The officers, fearing the psychological shock
that might follow for the two teenagers outside, quickly called
for a rescue vehicle. It was now close to dawn.
(16:03):
In a bizarre twist, Daniel's family had already arrived at
the mansion, offering comfort and warmth. Daniel, playing his part,
was asked to break the news to Suzan and Andreas.
He gathered them close, whispered, and the trio bowed their
heads together. Andreas quietly drifted from the group, seemingly in
(16:23):
a fog of confusion and grief. Meanwhile, Suzanne asked what
procedures we were going to take, not what happened, not
if her parents were okay. When Bodo told her, perhaps instinctively,
they're fine, she looked stunned. How she asked. Daniel arrived
soon after, asking oddly specific questions. Was anything taken? Was
(16:47):
the briefcase with the cash missing? The couple's masks eventually slipped,
but not before they tried to write the ending themselves,
a story of robbery of coincidence, but no thief had
come for them. Von Richthoven's that night their own daughter
had By five a m. The media was already buzzing
(17:07):
outside Astro Gildo Cravignos. Daniel and Christian's father stepped forward
giving statements to the press, while the children of the
murdered couple were taken to the police station. The tragedy
was quickly turning into a circus, but the most disturbing
scenes were yet to unfold. Inside the police station, while
(17:29):
the air hung heavy with tension and trauma, Suzanne leaned
comfortably against Daniel's shoulder and took a nap. Andreas, in
stark contrast, looked shattered, curled in on himself, silent, shaken,
processing what his fifteen year old mind could barely comprehend. Meanwhile,
(17:49):
Suzanne and Daniel exchanged affectionate touches, like giddy teenagers at
a sleepover, not just once over and over cuddles, whispers, kisses,
right there in front of the police officers, the witnesses,
the press, as if nothing had happened, as if they
hadn't orchestrated every moment of the night before. As they
(18:13):
filed their official statement, Suzan turned to the police chief,
doctor Enjolras Relo, de Araujo. Her voice soft, almost playful,
she declared, I would like you to kill and torture
these people that killed my parents. Then she smiled at Daniel.
It was a smile that haunted everyone in the room,
(18:35):
because in that single glance, filled with irony, audacity, and
cold delight, it became clear she wasn't mourning. She was performing.
From the very beginning, the scene inside the von Richthofen
mansion didn't add up. To the seasoned investigators of the
Homicide and Personal Protection Department d HPP. This was isn't
(19:00):
the work of professional burglars. It was the clumsy staging
of a crime meant to look like a robbery, but
something was off. Too Many things were left behind, expensive jewelry,
scattered but untouched, electronics in plain sight, a revolver placed
delicately next to a corpse. It all screamed performance, and
(19:22):
the detectives knew when a crime scene looks too carefully crafted,
it usually is. So the investigation zeroed in not on strangers,
but on the people closest to the victims, the children,
the maid, Mauricia's patience, Manfred's colleagues, and one name, one
connection stood out more than any other. Daniel Cravinos, Suzanne's boyfriend.
(19:48):
It didn't take long for the detectives to start peeling
back the layers of that relationship. According to close family friends,
Manfred and Mauricia had strongly disapproved of the romance. Manfred,
an engineer with conservative values, had a particular distaste for Daniel,
who came from a very different social world and had
(20:10):
a less than promising future. Under her mother's insistence, Suzanne
had even broken up with Daniel once before, only to
rekindle the flame in secret. That secret, it seemed, had
become dangerous. On November fourth, two thousand and two, Suzanne
was summoned for a second round of questioning. She arrived
(20:30):
at the d h p P with the same composed
demeanor she'd shown in earlier days. Cool, calm, almost calculated.
Investigators weren't looking for tears, they were looking for cracks.
The interrogation lasted around two hours. The goal was to
sift through her earlier statements and catch any inconsistencies. Investigators
(20:55):
noted her tone, her choice of words, her body language.
Suzanne laid her part, but her composure was too perfect,
and when a grieving daughter keeps her story straighter than
the police expect Suspicion only grows. Then came the twist
no one expected. While the detectives were tightening their circle,
(21:17):
a new lead emerged. Christian Kravignos, Daniel's older brother, had
recently bought himself a brand new motorcycle. It was flashy, expensive,
and deeply suspicious just days after the double murder. How
could he suddenly afford such a purchase. The investigators didn't hesitate.
(21:39):
They brought Christian in for questioning, and at the same
time Daniel, Suzanne's boyfriend, had been under scrutiny since day one,
but now the walls were truly closing in, and then
the house of cards collapsed. On November eighth, two thousand
and two. All three, Christian, Daniel, and Suzanne confessed. It
(22:00):
was unexpected. A daughter, privileged and poised, had plotted the
cold blooded murder of her own parents, the kind of
betrayal that doesn't just shake a family, it shakes an
entire nation. Nearly four years after Manfred and Marisia von
Richthoven were bludgeoned to death in their sleep, the courtroom
(22:23):
became the final stage for one of Brazil's most infamous
murder trials. The eyes of a nation turned to Sampaulo.
On July seventeenth, two thousand and six, as the trial
of Suzanne von Richthoven, her boyfriend Daniel Kravignos, and his
brother Christian Kravinos commenced. What followed was five days of
(22:44):
psychological warfare, courtroom theatrics, tearful breakdowns, and brutal revelations. Originally
scheduled for June fifth, two thousand and six, the trial
had already faced disruption. The Kravigno's brother's lawyers didn't apear
in court, claiming they hadn't had adequate time to prepare.
(23:04):
Shortly after, Suzanne's own defense team withdrew over a missing witness.
Delays were piling up, but the judge wasn't going to
let this trial collapse again. With a back up defense
team appointed and house arrest lifted from Suzanne, the court
reconvened a month later, ready for war. From the outset,
(23:26):
Suzanne's testimony tried to shift blame entirely onto the Kravignos brothers.
She claimed to have been high on the night of
the murders, unaware of any murder plot, and painted herself
as a manipulated, naive girl entangled with an overly jealous boyfriend.
She said Daniel tried to kill himself over their long
(23:47):
distance relationship, and that she had funded his lifestyle with
her parents' money. At one point, she claimed people at
their model airplane club called her the golden goose of
the Kravinos family. But Daniel had a different version, one
that would devastate Suzanne's narrative. According to him, she was
(24:09):
the mastermind. He said Suzayne had long fantasized about a
life free of her parents' rules and punishments, even claiming
she had suffered physical and sexual abuse at their hands,
allegations she would later deny. Christian, trying to reduce Daniel's culpability,
claimed only his brother had committed the murders, but this story, too,
(24:34):
would change in the days to come. Then, Andreas von Richthofen,
the youngest in the family, took the stand. His voice,
though steady, echoed devastation. He denied any abuse from their
parents and insisted their family was normal. Andreas revealed that
he was emotionally manipulated into forgiving his sister something he
(24:58):
deeply regretted. He did believe her repentance. He feared her.
They say she's a psychopath. I don't know, but you
can expect anything from a person like that. Suzan had
even tried to blame the murder weapon on him, a
blatant lie, Andreas claimed. Police Chief Cinthia to Kunduva Gomez
(25:20):
testified that the killings were likely simultaneous, discrediting Christian's earlier
version of Daniel acting alone and even more chilling, after
her confession, Suzanne had calmly combed her hair and asked
Daniel if she looked pretty for her mugshot. Nadia Cravinos,
the mother of Daniel and Christian, gave a tearful, complicated testimony.
(25:46):
She spoke of her shame, forgiveness, and the manipulation of
her sons. She claimed Manfred and Mauricia were abusive alcoholics
and backed the theory of essay. Hours later, Christian recant
his earlier statements, now admitting he had struck Mauricia himself
and that Suzanne had orchestrated the entire plan. She'd told
(26:09):
them she had no life under her parents and claimed
her father tried to essay her when she was thirteen.
Christian sobbed as he recalled her words, after the murders,
you didn't take anything from me. You gave me a
new life. The fourth day brought forensic photos that left
the courtroom shaken. The brutality of the crime became undeniable. Suzanne, Daniel,
(26:35):
and Christian all turned their backs to avoid the images
of Manfred's mutilated face and Mauricia's slow, agonizing death. Love
letters between Suzanne and Daniel were read aloud, filled with
intimate nicknames and declarations. Daniel wept, Suzanne stayed stone faced,
(26:56):
turning her chair away from her former lover. Her detector
was glaring. The prosecution emphasized how quickly the trio moved
on after the murder. Daniel and Suzanne kissed passionately at
the police station, while Christian celebrated with a barbecue and
a motorcycle purchase. In the early hours of July twenty second,
(27:18):
two thousand and six, Judge Alberto Anderson Philo announced the verdicts.
Suzan varn Richthofen was convicted of double homicide, deemed cold,
calculating and fully responsible for the crime. Daniel and Christian
Kravignos were also found guilty, not as manipulated pawns, but
(27:38):
as willing executioners. Suzan got thirty nine years and six
months in prison. Daniel Krevinhaus got thirty nine years and
six months. Christian Cravignos got thirty eight years and six months.
A chilling irony hung in the air, the very inheritance
Suzan hoped to unlock with her parents deaths would now
(28:01):
fund her prison meals. After her arrest and conviction, Suzanne
spent sixteen years behind bars at the Penitentiaria Feminina Santa
Maria Euphracia Pelletier in Tremembe, San Paulo. On January eleventh,
twenty twenty three, she was released on probation and slipped
(28:23):
into a quieter life, at least temporarily.
Speaker 3 (28:26):
Jimos dad Fala So Gravinos No Nna, Susanni, Ola Parabarni
and Trevista Manipulad.
Speaker 1 (28:49):
She initially retreated to rural Ange Tuba, where some of
her ex boyfriend's relatives resided, living largely out of the
public eye, but it didn't last long. Just a month later,
Suzanne re entered headlines when she launched an online store,
drawing sharp public criticism for trying to profit from a
life forever associated with one of Brazil's most infamous crimes.
(29:15):
Now living in Braganza Pallista, Suzan has taken on a
new identity, literally and figuratively. She entered a relationship with
local doctor Philippe Zecchini Munis, a divorced father of three,
and in March twenty twenty three became pregnant with their
first child. She gave birth to a baby boy named
(29:37):
Felipe at Sabin Hospital in Atabaya. In a move many
saw as an attempt to distance herself from her past,
Suzan legally changed her name to Suzan Luise Magnani Munis,
adopting her maternal grandmother's surname and that of her partner.
And yet one haunting truth remains. A daughter born into
(30:01):
wealth and opportunity traded it all for a twisted fantasy
of freedom. Was it manipulation, greed, trauma or pure evil?
Whatever the answer, the von Richthoven murders remain one of
Brazil's darkest tales, not just because of the crime, but
because of why it was committed.
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