Netflix Tip of the Day: The Isabella Nardoni Case

True crime enthusiasts, gather: we need to get back to work. A new true crime documentary has been secretly released on Netflix and we need to watch it en masse, because it is very intense, grim, full of intrigue and family troubles. In short: something that makes our black hearts beat faster.

The case at the center of this new series called The Isabella Nardoni Case is that of the murder of Isabella Nardoni, in 2008. I had never heard of it before, but it is one of the most sensational crimes ever in the country. Isabella was only five years old when she was thrown out of the window of her father's (Alexandre Alves Nardoni) and her stepmother's (Anna Carolina Jatobá) house in São Paulo. Side note: her biological mother is named Ana Carolina Oliveira, and she appears in the documentary. That can be confusing, but they are not the same people.

Isabella’s father and stepmother (who were 29 and 24 years old at the time of the murder) were arrested and convicted: Alexandre received 31 years, Anna 26 years. Both have always maintained their innocence, and that is something this documentary delves deeper into.

In A Life Too Short: The Isabella Nardoni Case, it is extensively explained what the evidence against this couple was, how the media jumped on this case, and why the police excluded all other potential suspects. A very interesting look into the Brazilian legal system and the work of the police.

I find the documentary particularly special because Isabella’s biological mother and her grandmother speak a lot; for the first time they tell on camera how all this has been for them. So besides being a heavy true crime doc, it is also certainly emotional at certain moments. A big recommendation.

Image: Netflix