Suvechha Sarkar
In August 1969, a tragic and deeply personal loss altered the course of Lily Safra’s life. Alfredo João Monteverde, her second husband, suddenly passed away, which the authorities officially considered a suicide. However, the circumstances surrounding his death raised speculation and enduring public interest even years later. Netflix’s ‘Murder in Monaco’ brings the focus on the case, which came under scrutiny again after the death of Lily’s fourth husband, Edmond Jacob Safra. It also features interviews with the officials who worked on Edmond’s case and his acquaintances.
Alfredo Monteverde Died From Two Gunshot Wounds to His Chest
Iancu Grunberg and Regina Rebecca Leff were overjoyed when they welcomed Alfredo João Monteverde into their lives on June 12, 1924. He was initially known as Freddy Grunberg. He was born in Galați, Romania, and grew up there in a loving Jewish household, alongside his sister, Rosy Grunberg. However, according to reports, Alfredo, his mother, and Rosy had to flee to Europe in 1939. Eventually, they settled in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and he reportedly obtained his citizenship there in 1949. There, he changed his name to Alfredo Monteverde. In that very same year, he embraced his entrepreneurial spirit and opened his first Ponto Frio store. It was a home appliance distribution venture, with a focus on refrigerators. Alfredo imported the Cold Spot brand refrigerators from the US to sell them in Rio de Janeiro.
Over the next few years, Alfredo built a massive retail chain of stores, amassing a substantial amount of wealth. He also created Globex Utilidades S.A., which further helped him in purchasing and importing appliances for the Ponto Frio stores. According to a report, the penguin logo of the company was originally Alfredo’s idea. His appliance store also reportedly set a record in Brazil for being one of the first to invest in commercial and marketing efforts. Some of the other records claim that Alfredo collected and bought notable artworks. He had even invested in the film ‘É Fogo na Roupa’ and was credited as the producer. In his personal life, Alfredo thought that he had found love twice. Although both of those relationships led to marriage, he got a divorce both times.
During that time, Alfredo adopted his son, Carlos Monteverde. It wasn’t until the 1960s that he finally met Lily Cohen. They soon began dating and got married in 1965. It was Lily’s second marriage, and she already had two sons and a daughter from her previous marriage. She then reportedly also adopted Carlos. She and Alfredo began raising their children together in Brazil. Everything seemed to be going perfectly until August 25, 1969. According to police records, Alfredo was found dead in his bedroom with gunshot wounds to the chest. After inspecting the scene, authorities recovered a firearm and a bullet. Despite some evidence limitations noted in reports, investigators ultimately ruled the death a suicide.
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Alfredo Monteverde’s Death Was Officially Ruled a Suicide
Following Alfredo’s death, a thorough investigation was conducted. According to official records, at the time of his death, Lily was not present at the home. Some reports claim that Alfredo had returned that day from lunch with Lily, where he allegedly asked her for a divorce and even spoke about how to share the custody of their children. The book Empress Bianca, whose claims were disputed and never supported by official findings, presented unverified allegations related to Alfredo’s personal life and estate, none of which were substantiated by investigators.
Alfredo reportedly left his fortune, valued at approximately £200 million, to Lily. Reports state that those developments led Rosy and her mother to seek independent legal and investigative advice, as they were also shareholders of Alfredo’s company but were excluded from the will. Lily reportedly received 37% of the shares, while Carlos gained 33% of them. While Alfredo’s relatives questioned the will’s terms, investigators found no evidence supporting any criminal involvement by Lily. As per reports, she moved to London just one month after Alfredo’s death. There, she got immense assistance from Edmond, who helped her acquire and manage her inheritance. It is essential to note that no evidence pointed to Lily being involved in Alfredo’s death, and no authority ever determined that the inheritance resulted from wrongdoing.
Official records indicate that in the course of the investigation, detectives learned that Alfredo was allegedly suffering from manic depression/ bipolar disorder. According to the Brazilian police records, law enforcement had lost both the gun and the bullet, which were taken in as evidence. Ultimately, Alfredo’s death was officially ruled a suicide by the authorities. The case once again came under the spotlight when Edmond passed away after a fire broke out at his penthouse. It was later disclosed that Edmond’s nurse, Ted Maher, was responsible for his death. Despite renewed media attention after Edmond’s death, authorities emphasized that Alfredo’s death remained an unrelated case officially ruled a suicide. At no point did Brazilian or international authorities find evidence implicating Lily Safra in Alfredo Monteverde’s death, and the suicide ruling has never been formally challenged.
