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Soccer Player Reportedly Found 'Nearly Beheaded,' With 'Genitals Severed'
Brazilian player Daniel Correa Freitas was the victim of "torture," according to a local newspaper report.
A Brazilian soccer player's mutilated body was found southern Brazil Saturday, with one local report describing him as "nearly beheaded, and with his genitals severed."
The Brazilian newspaper Band B, reported that Daniel Correa Freitas, 24, had been a victim of "torture" and said there had been two deep cuts in his neck which nearly beheaded him, according to the New Zealand Herald.
Police have reportedly not released the exact cause of death yet. ESPN reports that the young soccer star had died of gunshot wounds.
Police believe he was killed on the street in Sao Jose dos Pinhais and then his body was dragged about 100 feet to the bush where he was discovered.
"This road [where the body was found] is a bit deserted and already known for the dumping of corpses," Band B reported, according to The Sun.
The São Paulo Football Club, where Freitas served as a midfielder, confirmed the death on Twitter.
"The São Paulo Football Club deeply regrets the death of midfielder Daniel Corrêa Freitas. The club sympathizes and pays condolences to the athlete's family," they wrote in a statement.
Freitas had been with the team since 2015, but had been on loan for the last two years. He was playing for the second-tier club Sao Bento at the time of his death.
Sao Bento also released a statement which said the club "stands in solidarity with the family and friends of the player in the time of profound sadness," ESPN reports.
[Photo: Getty Images]
