Spoilt rich girl who masterminded parents’ murders is now divorced jail bride

It’s almost exactly 20 years since a relative of a German World War One flying ace known as the Red Baron murdered her wealthy parents.

Suzane von Richthofen is now 38 and divorced after marrying another female killer behind bars – but she was just 18 when she plotted the demise of her mum and dad who were sleeping in bed when they were bludgeoned to death.

Her then boyfriend, Daniel Cravinhos, and his older brother, Christian, were accomplices in her evil plan.

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The siblings savagely beat her parents beyond recognition with iron bars while Suzane sat on a sofa downstairs after welcoming them inside the family mansion in a suburb of Sao Paulo, Brazil.

All three were eventually jailed and ahead of the 20th anniversary of the gruesome crime on October 31, 2002, here we take a look at the chaotic life of Suzane.

Early life

Suzane’s father was German engineer Manfred Albert von Richthofen, a great nephew to the famous fighter pilot Baron von Richthofen who was shot dead over the River Somme in 1918.

Her mother Marisia meanwhile was a psychiatrist and the affluent family was reportedly worth approximately $17million.

She also had a younger brother, Andreas, and the pair received the best education in private schools in Brazil.

Academically gifted Suzane went on to study law at university and she was set to inherit millions once she completed her degree.

But the privileged youngster was unashamedly self-entitled, and her behaviour soon started to worry her parents.

Boyfriend

Suzane was 16 when she first cosied up with jobless Daniel Cravinhos who came from a poor background.

The pair started to spend every minute together and Suzane later pleaded with her father to buy her an apartment for her and her boyfriend to live in.

Disapproving of the relationship, her dad said she could do as she pleased as long as it was with her own money. But unfortunately for Suzane, she had not yet inherited any of her family’s fortune.

However, the cunning young woman soon hitched a bloody and brutal plan to become rich and free without working for it.

And with the help of college dropout and pot smoker Daniel and his brother Christian, this led to the haunting downfall of the Richthofen family.

The murder

On Halloween night 2002, Suzane snuck out of the small mansion at 9pm.

But she soon returned to her family home with Daniel and Christian while her younger brother was away.

She disabled the alarm system before letting her accomplices into the luxurious property while pointing in the direction of the master bedroom.

The betraying daughter then sat on a sofa while the siblings crept upstairs armed with iron bars where they killed the husband and wife.

During the fatal onslaught a plastic bag was wrapped around Marisia’s head to finally stop her breathing.

The trio then stole money and created a mess to make the horror scene look like a burglary attempt.

Christian went to a fast food restaurant while the lovers headed to a hotel before Suzane picked up Andreas in the early hours and returned to the crime scene at just after 4am.

She then faked her shock by making out like she had just discovered the spine-chilling scene of her parents lying dead in their beds.

Justice

The case became a public sensation and neighbours reportedly grew suspicious when they spotted Suzane and Daniel celebrating her 19th birthday in the swimming pool in the days after her parents were reported dead.

Police meanwhile were dubious about how the killers knew the code to disable the alarm system and there were no signs of forced entry.

Another red flag appeared when Christian bought a Suzuki motorcycle just hours after the crime in 100-dollar bills, which left cops wondering whether it was the same cash stolen from the Richthofen home.

With evidence mounting, it wasn’t long before all three confessed to the murders.

Suzane then blamed her boyfriend for corrupting her mind and pressuring her into it.

But during an extraordinary TV interview with Brazilian media a microphone picked up on a conversation where her lawyer told her exactly what to say and how to act on camera.

And in court, prosecutor Roberto Tardelli said she was the “mastermind” behind the murders and described how she wanted to “get her hands on the money and assets her parents had worked so hard to obtain”.

In July 2006, the former lovers were sentenced to 39 years each for the killings while Christian received 38 years for conspiracy.

What happened next?

In 2014, Suzane refused a parole hearing so she could stay in prison with her new wife.

This was after she married Sandra Regina behind bars who had been sentenced to 27 years for her part in a child kidnapping and subsequent murder following an unpaid ransom fee.

Reports suggested the pair met in the jail’s clothing factory but they later divorced when Sandra was freed.

And last year a schoolgirl was arrested after “killing her dad to become famous after being inspired by the grisly Red Baron slaying”.

The 12-year-old, along with a friend, said she took out her cop dad after being inspired by the chilling Richthofen case.

When arrested in the Brazilian state of Santa Catarina the pair allegedly showed no remorse and asked if they would be famous like Suzane.

The police officer, Neife Luiz Werlang, was 46 and was found at home with stab wounds to his neck.

Suzane remains a prisoner but her cold legacy lives on. Her case inspired two films with each exploring a different motive for the killings.

One suggests she did it to inherit her family fortune while the other claims her boyfriend pressured her into it.

Suzane is now in a semi-open prison and is likely to be released between 2032 and 2042.

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