Brazilian Woman Charged With Murdering Her American Husband
Claudia Hoerig has remained in Brazil for nearly two decades, shielded from extradition by her own country's constitution
Quick Facts
Brazilian national Claudia Hoerig was charged by U.S. authorities with the first-degree murder of her American husband, Karl Hoerig, in the state of Ohio in 2008 — and has remained in Brazil ever since, beyond the reach of American justice. The case has become one of the most striking examples of the limits of transnational prosecution in recent memory.
Fleeing to Brazil
After Karl Hoerig was found dead in the couple's Ohio home in March 2007, Claudia Hoerig quickly left the United States and returned to her native Brazil. Under the Brazilian constitution, the country is broadly prohibited from extraditing its own citizens to foreign nations — a legal shield that has made it extraordinarily difficult for U.S. authorities to bring her before an American court.
The case highlights the deep challenges that arise when a suspect can take refuge behind their own nation's laws. international extradition is an area where even close allied nations can operate under vastly different frameworks, and Brazil is known for consistently enforcing its ban on extraditing citizens.
An Investigation That Crosses Borders
The FBI has been involved in the case, and Claudia Hoerig has appeared on lists of wanted fugitives. Despite years of investigation and diplomatic efforts, it has proven impossible to bring her back to the United States to face the murder charge.
The case echoes other high-profile situations where a fugitive wanted abroad
