The BJJ community is waiting with bated breath as the trial for the murder of Leandro Lo, one of the greatest grapplers of all time, has been postponed by over a month. The initial hearing, which was slated to take place on February 3rd, 2023, has been pushed back to March 24th, 2023, causing frustration among the community who have been eagerly awaiting the outcome of the trial.
Leandro Lo’s Death Shocked the BJJ Community
Leandro Lo was tragically killed in a nightclub in Sao Paulo, Brazil on August 7th, 2022, after getting into an altercation with Henrique Otavio Oliveira Velozo. According to witnesses, Lo had restrained Velozo before releasing him, but Velozo later returned and shot Lo at close range. The news of Lo’s death shook the BJJ community to its core, and many are still hoping for justice to be served in this tragic case.
The official announcement of the postponed hearing was made on the Instagram account of Instituto Leandro Lo. Although the statement was written in Portuguese, it has been translated for the benefit of the international community. The delay in the hearing has caused frustration among those who want to see justice served for the late BJJ legend, but the community remains hopeful that the correct course of action will be taken.
“Reassignment of the Hearing. Date March 24, 2023 at 1:30pm. At the request of the defence of the accused in the murder of Leandro Lo, claiming incompatibility of dates, because the causative, on this very day, will participate in a jury plenary in another district, the date was postponed.”
The post also included the following quote by Martin Luther King Jr. and it’s rather poignant given the circumstances surrounding the death of Leandro Lo and the news that the initial hearing for the murder trial has been delayed:
“Injustice anywhere is a threat to Justice everywhere.”
Featured image credits to Embed from Getty Images
