Elize Matsunaga is a trained nurse and lawyer from Brazil. She became well-known after Netflix released a documentary about her life called Once Upon a Crime: Elize Matsunaga.
Once upon a Crime: Elize Matsunaga is a documentary based on Elize’s real life event. The series released on Netflix on July 8, 2021.
The four-part documentary digs into the tragic case in which Elize Matsunaga shot and killed her husband, Marcos Matsunaga, on May 19, 2012, and provides insight on who Elize and Marcos Matsunaga were before the tragedy. The murder of Elize’s husband, Marcos, is one of the most high-profile cases Brazil has ever seen.
Anyway, here we will talk about Elize Matsunaga’s childhood, her life events. What caused her to shoot her husband to death? Where is she now? Learn more about Elize Matsunaga through the article below.
Elize Matsunaga Quick Facts
| Name | Elize Matsunaga |
| Age | 40’s |
| Height | approx. 5ft 5inches |
| Weight | 55kg |
| Nationality | Brazilian |
| Ethnicity | Mixed |
| Children | 1 |
| N/A | |
| Profession | Former nurse and lawyer |
Elize Matsunaga Wiki/ Bio
Elize Matsunaga is a former nurse and lawyer. She was born and raised in Brazil. Sadly, she hasn’t really disclosed anything about her parents. Reportedly, she was reunited with her mother and step-father at the age of 10. She had a worse childhood. Elize was assaulted by her step-father which led her to leave home at the age of 15. She indulged in prostitution in her early twenties to pay for her college fees as she wanted to be a lawyer.
Picture credit: wikibiography.in
Elize is known around the world as a murderer. She killed her multi-millionaire husband, Marco Matsunaga on May 19, 2012. A documentary based on her life events was made called, Elize Matsunaga: Once Upon a Crime. It is currently streaming on Netflix. The director of the documentary, Capai said she felt a “great responsibility” to explore the shocking case in more detail. It also features the first-ever public interview from convicted killer Elize Matsunaga.
Elize Matsunaga Age/ Birthday
Elize Matsunaga’s age and birthday remains a mystery. However, as of 2021, she may be in her late 30’s or early 40’s.
Elize Matsunaga Height/ Weight
There is no any information on Elize Matsunaga’s height and weight. According to a source, she stands at an average height of 5ft 5 inches tall and weighs around 55kg.
Is Elize Matsunaga Married, Who Is Elize Matsunaga Husband?
Elize Matsunaga was once a married woman. She was married to her husband Marcos Matsunaga. Marcos was a Japanese businessman and the heir to the multi-million dollar food company Yoki. For your information, Elize was his second wife.
Picture credit: newsunzip.com
The pair first met on the escort website, M.Class, where she advertised herself as Kelly. Marcos and Elize lived together for three years and shared a daughter, Helena, together.
According to the Netflix documentary series called, Elize Matsunaga: Once Upon a Crime, Elize had planned on divorcing her husband after he had cheated on her. However, she decided to give their marriage another shot after she found out that she was pregnant with his child. Sadly, after the birth of their daughter, Marcos began cheating again.
Elize Matsunaga Husband’s Murder
Elize Matsunaga describes what happened that evening when she fired the bullet on her husband in the documentary, Elize Matsunaga: Once Upon a Crime.
Just as she told the courts, Elize admitted that she killed her husband after they argued at dinner on May 19, 2012.
Elize said that when Marcos picked up their pizza (which was seen on camera), the two got into an argument about his affair, with Marcos verbally and physically attacking her. She also stated Marcos had threatened to seize complete custody of their daughter if they stopped their relationship She then pulled out one of their several guns and shot Marcos Matsunaga in the head. He was 42 years old.
Elize then cut his body into seven parts—the head, torso, groin, two arms, and two legs—and disposed of his body in trash bags. She was spotted entering the elevator with three huge suitcases on the morning of May 20. She then disinfected her apartment using home disinfectant.
Marcos Matsunaga was last spotted on CCTV collecting pizza from the lobby the day before. Elize was arrested for her husband’s murder on June 4, 2013. She admitted to killing her husband, with her defence team arguing Marcos Matsunaga was killed in a crime of passion and in self-defence. The prosecution, on the other hand, claimed that the murder was premeditated.
Elize was found guilty of murder, destruction, and hiding of a corpse and sentenced to 19 years, 11 months, and 1 day in jail on December 5, 2016, after confessing to the crime.
Picture together: newsweek.com
Where is Elize Matsunaga Now? Updates
At present, Elize Matsunaga is still in prison today. She is currently serving her sentence at the Tremembé Women’s Penitentiary in São Paulo.
Due to Elize Matsunaga’s time in jail and the work she did there, her sentence was reduced to 18 years and nine months. Likewise, her sentence was reduced by two years and six months to 16 years and three months in 2019 by the Superior Court of Justice’s Fifth Panel after admitting to the crime.
Elize Matsunaga has not yet been reunited with her daughter, who is still being cared after by her grandparents. Her release date has been set for 2035.
Elize Matsunaga Instagram
Elize Matsunaga is still serving her sentence in prison. That’s why she doesn’t have an Instagram account.
