Understand the reason behind Gal Costa's son's request to exhume and transfer the singer's remains to Rio de Janeiro
In the petition, Gabriel requests the transfer of Gal Costa's remains from São Paulo to Rio de Janeiro, so that the singer can be buried next to her own mother. A perpetual vault was acquired especially to receive the bodies of both, with the aim of resting eternally together.
The 18-year-old went to court to have his mother's body exhumed and autopsied to determine the cause of her death - Photo Reproduction
Gabriel Costa, son of Gal Costa, filed a request with the São Paulo Court to obtain authorization for the exhumation and necropsy of his mother's body. In the petition presented on Thursday (14), he also requested the transfer of the singer's remains to a cemetery in Rio de Janeiro, since she was buried in the capital of São Paulo. According to the death certificate, Gal passed away at the age of 77 in November 2022, victim of an acute myocardial infarction. The document also indicates a malignant neoplasm (cancer) of the head and neck as one of the causes of death.
Exhumation
Gabriel is questioning the information contained in his mother's death certificate and is now seeking a post-exhumation forensic examination to determine the true cause of his death. He states that, the day before her death, his mother was apparently in good health. The situation is so mysterious that Gabriel, who is Gal's only son and heir, wonders how his mother came to die suddenly, without witnesses who can describe how and why this happened. The defense emphasizes that there are no explanations for this situation.
The Suspicion
According to Gabriel's lawyer, Gal died a "natural death from an unknown cause" and not an acute myocardial infarction, as initially claimed. The lawyer claims that at the time of death there was no doctor present who could determine the true cause of death. The petition also mentions that Gal's widow, Wilma Petrillo, prohibited any autopsy that could provide more information and immediately ordered burial in a private tomb, with restricted access. This issue has worried both Gal's son and the singer's close friends, who have tirelessly sought an investigation into the cause of death.
Transfer of Mortal Remains
Gabriel requested the transfer of his mother's body from São Paulo to Rio de Janeiro. He claims that Gal was buried in the Cemetery of the Third Order of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, in Consolação, by decision of Wilma Petrillo. However, Gabriel states that Gal clearly expressed the desire to be buried in the São João Batista Cemetery, in the capital of Rio de Janeiro, where the singer's mother and other renowned artists are buried Brazilians, such as Ademilde Fonseca, Carmem Miranda and Cazuza. The applicant considers it unfair and illegal that his mother is separated from his family and hopes that, in the future, he can rest next to her and his maternal grandmother, Mariah Costa Penna, in the São João Batista Cemetery, in the city of Rio de Janeiro.
Coercion
Gabriel also turned to the judicial system to request the annulment of a document signed by himself, in which he stated that Wilma Petrillo, the singer's widow, lived in a marriage relationship with Gal, however in a recent statement, Gabriel stated that he considered Wilma as your mother. This statement was crucial for the court to recognize the stable union between Wilma and Gal, granting her the status of heir. However, Gabriel claims that he only wrote and signed the letter under Wilma's coercion. Furthermore, he claims that he feared for his physical and emotional safety at the time, as he lived in the same house as his widow. Gabriel claims that the coercions began after Gal's death.
He alleges that he was coerced by Wilma into taking prescription medication, which caused a major psychological impact and a significant reduction in his cognitive capacity. According to him, Wilma threatened him saying that he should submit to her, claiming that the court had granted her custody of him until he was 21 years old.. Furthermore, the widow would have tried to convince Gabriel to sign a debt confession document, claiming that she was entitled to 75% of Gal's assets. Gabriel states that, out of kindness, he decided to divide the assets equally, 50% for Wilma and 50% for him. However, Wilma pressured him emotionally, saying that if he didn't sign the statement, they wouldn't get the money and would go hungry, arguing that he couldn't do that to her.
Gabriel mentions that, since his childhood, he never noticed signs that his mother and Wilma had a relationship as a couple, although he does not rule out the possibility that they may have been romantically involved before his adoption. He states that he considers Wilma his godmother and that he has great esteem and consideration for her, even though he is aware of the psychological manipulation and coercion that occurred during past events.
What Should Happen?
According to the judge of the 12th Family and Succession Court in the capital, Gabriel needs to file a separate action and did not recognize the request made in the context of the inventory. Wilma requested the opening of the inventory and recognition of the post-death stable union in January 2023, two months after Gal's death. She states that the two lived together for approximately 20 years.
