Credit: Netflix

Elize: Shadows of a Woman is undoubtedly one of the most high-profile Netflix offerings of the week. The movie is a fictionalised retelling of a spine-chilling real-life 2012 murder case, involving Elize Matsunaga and her renowned businessman husband, Marcos Joao Matsunaga, that shocked the nation in more ways than one.

38-year-old Elize was accused of murdering and dismembering her husband, whose remains were found in rural areas of Cotia.

Although Elize: Shadows of a Woman doesn’t lead up to the murder, it starts with it. The movie opens with Elize holding out a knife with blood trickling down her body as she tries to keep it together. While the opening salvo details how she kept going to get her job done, no matter what may come, the movie specifically delves into the killer’s past to explain why she went to such great lengths.

From her abandonment issues rooted in her tough childhood to experiencing constant infidelity after marrying Marcos, each and every aspect had a role to play. In fact, the fear of losing her daughter after discovering a brochure for a psychiatric clinic was heightened to a whole new level. But what exactly led to her arrest?

How was Elize put behind bars in Elize: Shadows of a Woman?

As seen in Elize: Shadows of a Woman, Elize Matsunaga dismembered Marcos’s body, scattering the remains across a dense forested area in Cotia. Although she thought she would get away with the murder, hoping no one would be able to track him down, considering Marcos’s reputation, finding him was actually a priority for the cops.

While speculation grew surrounding a possible abduction, with many even hoping that the businessman would turn up eventually, it was the deposit and email that ultimately blew things off for Elize. As the cops tracked the IP address right back to her, the body parts were also simultaneously discovered, resulting in Elize being entirely cornered.

Surely, she tried to make a run for it by immediately packing all her and her daughter’s belongings. However, the cops showed up just in time. Their extensive search of the apartment led to the discovery of similar blue plastic bags that were used to wrap Marcos’s dismembered body. However, Elize’s nervousness ultimately convinced the cops that something was definitely off.

Upon being taken to the station, Elize tried to lie before eventually confessing to the crime. Meanwhile, surveillance footage also showed her leaving the apartment with three suitcases and returning with none. Lastly, the day before Marcos disappeared, he entered the apartment with a pizza box, making it clear that he never left the house, leading to Elize’s final confession.