A BRAZILIAN influencer famous for his pranks has been found dead near his home after he changed his Christmas plans last minute.
Police have launched a murder inquiry into the death of Henrique Medeiros, 26, and have said they want to speak to his pal who he spent Christmas eve with.
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The pal, who is also a neighbour of Henrique’s, was interviewed by a local TV station before the influencer’s body was found.
He spoke to a reporter that visited while Henrique was missing and claimed the star had left his house to walk back to his own property 100ft away after they had dinner together.
He said: “He (Henrique) was completely normal shortly before his disappearance. He said when he left he was going home.”
The suspect, who has been named on social media, has now vanished and had his home looted and set alight by angry locals near Sao Paulo where Henrique grew up and lived.
Henrique, whose fan base on YouTube and Instagram is near to the two million mark, was going to have dinner with his family on Christmas Eve but told them at the last minute he was heading to a friend’s house instead.
He left a WhatsApp message in a family group hours before he vanished which said: “Happy Christmas to everyone.
“Has someone got some cash to lend me so I can continue having a good time….it’s just a joke.
“Merry Christmas all. We’re together. I love you all.”
His anguished family called in police on Boxing Day and had been appealing for the public’s help in finding their missing relative.
There’s speculation that Henrique’s disappearance could be linked to local upset over one of his pranks.
The family confirmed his identity overnight after his body was found yesterday buried in a makeshift grave in the garden of the house where he was last seen.
They recognised Henrique by the clothes he was wearing and his tattoo.
A friend took to social media after the gruesome discovery to post photos of the suspect and his girlfriend, writing: “Look for the killers of Henrique Medeiros.”
Distraught pal Roseni Vieira said: “We will always remember you. Rest in peace Henrique Medeiros.”
A local TV report shows the makeshift grave where her friend’s body was found.
It sits next to a house that has been set alight – where he is understood to have spent his last night alive.
A social media appeal for information on Henrique’s whereabouts was posted before his body was found.
It read: “He gained prominence on social media and YouTube with his pranks ‘trolling’ friends and family.
“However his sudden fame is now clouded by the worry of his absence.
“On the day of his disappearance the influencer left his house open, as if he planned to return quickly, taking only his mobile phone and documents with him to head to a friend’s house for dinner.
“His family have no news and despite contacting his friends and girlfriend, no-one has any information on his whereabouts.”
Missing posters had gone up in his home town of Itapecerica da Serra as well as online.
Brazilian media subsequently started speculating his disappearance could be linked to him upsetting someone in his neighbourhood with some of his prank videos.
But his family insisted the content was always agreed beforehand with those he played tricks on and he made friends with them rather than enemies.
In one of the videos he made shortly before he vanished, Henrique filmed himself putting soap into a neighbour’s water tank.
In another he appeared to set light to a home-made bomb in a spot local media subsequently identified as a place local drug dealers used to sell their illegal substances.
He started making a name for himself in his homeland around six years ago and had slowly gathered a solid fan base.
Displaying the close relationship he had with his late dad, who passed away in February, Henrique posted a video of the pair play-acting together.
He captioned the footage: “More than a father, my best friend, my inspiration. You are and always will be my God.”
A sister, who ruled out the possibility the mystery disappearance was another practical joke, had said before Henrique was found dead: “We’re waiting for any news, with the help of the police.
“Seeing the days go by with nothing to go on is traumatising.”
The property Henrique moved into at the start of the year, which the authorities are already thought to have searched, includes a plaque on the wall commemorating his first one million YouTube followers.
Henrique is also thought to have started editing videos recently for other influencers.
He vanished in just the clothes he was wearing, which included a shirt with his own logo on it, his ID card and mobile phone.
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