Journalists Killed in 2013 - Motive Unconfirmed: José Roberto Ornelas de Lemos

Jornal Hora H
June 11, 2013, in Nova Iguaçu, Brazil

Four masked men shot Ornelas de Lemos at least 41 times while he was at a bakery in a suburb of Rio de Janeiro, according to news reports.

Ornelas de Lemos, the administrative director of the daily Jornal Hora H, was involved in all aspects of the daily's operations, a newspaper employee told CPJ. He was also the son of Jornal Hora H's owner, José Lemos. A journalist at Jornal Hora H told authorities that Ornelas de Lemos had received threats for the daily's reporting, according to news reports, but did not elaborate.

Police Captain Marcus Henrique Alves told reporters that authorities were investigating the daily's coverage as a possible motive for the murder. "It was a combative newspaper, that frequently denounced irregularities and corruption," he said. The daily was known for its tabloid-style coverage of crime and the police.

News accounts also reported that Ornelas de Lemos had been investigated for three murders committed in the 1990s but had never been formally charged. He had once been accused of being involved in the murder of a local official in 2003 in a dispute over a trash collection contract and was imprisoned, but was later acquitted, the reports said. Authorities said at the time of his death he was carrying a firearm and had survived a previous attack in 2005, according to news reports.

Motive Unconfirmed: CPJ is investigating to determine whether the death was work-related.

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