Former Brazilian Footballer's Head Left On His Doorstep -

Sao Paulo, Brazil (CNN) -- João Rodrigo
Silva Santos didn't come home Monday
night.
When the former professional footballer's
wife opened the door on her way to work
the next morning, she found his severed
head on their front step.
The head was inside a backpack, police
said. Santos' eyes and tongue had been
gouged out, according to Brazilian media
reports.
Player stabbed, referee dismembered over
soccer quarrel in Brazil
Now police in Rio de Janeiro are
investigating the grisly killing, though they
haven't said who they believe is behind it.
Santos, 35, was a forward for a number of
mostly second-tier Rio de Janeiro football
teams before retiring and opening a health
foods store.
His death comes at a time when football
fans worldwide are shifting their focus
toward Brazil, which will host the World
Cup in 2014.
Late last year, the country announced it
was pumping $900 million dollars into its
security budget to make the competition
"one of the most protected sports events in
history."
World football's ruling body FIFA had
expressed concern about Brazil's increasing
crime rate, particularly in Sao Paulo.
One police official told Brazil's O Globo
newspaper that authorities are investigating
whether a recent post on the store's
Facebook page could be connected to the
crime. The post showed surveillance
footage and asked for help catching
shoplifters.
Police plan to compare the images to
surveillance footage taken at the shop
Monday night, chief homicide investigator
Rafael Rangel told the newspaper.
The former football player was last seen
Monday night, when two suspects entered
his vehicle, CNN affiliate TV Record
reported.
On Wednesday morning, police said they
found parts of a man's body in a river
outside the city and were testing the DNA
to see whether the remains belong to
Santos, TV Record said.
Authorities have interviewed 10 witnesses
so far in the case, police said.
According to local media, Santos' wife,
Geisa Silva, worked for the police in one of
Rio's shantytowns, but as a social worker
giving swimming lessons to children, not as
a policewoman.
She told investigators she did not know of
any threats made against her husband,
according to TV Record.
Some of Santos' relatives and neighbors
told O Globo that he didn't have any
enemies and said they didn't know what
could have motivated the attack.
Brazil boosts World Cup security budget as
crime rises
Santos started his football career when he
was 16 years old, and played for several
Brazilian club teams. He played for the
Bangu club team from 1996 to 2005,
according to a biography on the club's
unofficial website.
In 1998, he played for Honduras' Olimpia
club. And in 2003 he played for Sweden's
Oster club, the website says.
The website calls Santos a "humble hero,"
describing how goals he scored brought
victory to another club team he joined.
According to the FutRio.net football news
site, Santos left the field earlier this year to
focus on his business.
The site reported that club players in Rio
de Janeiro on Wednesday honored Santos
with a minute of silence.

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