(FOX NEWS) – A Brazilian inmate who tried to break out of jail dressed as his daughter was found dead in his cell after apparently having hanged himself.
Prison officials confirmed that 42-year-old Clauvino Da Silva was found dead in a high-security unit of the state’s Bangu Prison Complex Tuesday.
He was serving a decades-long sentence for drug dealing when he was caught trying to break out of jail Saturday disguised as his daughter.
Rio prison authorities released a video showing Da Silva slowly removing his disguise after he was caught.
His escape shines a light on Brazil’s long-standing struggle with an overcrowded prison system.
Brazil’s incarcerated population has surged eight-fold in the last three decades to nearly 750,000 inmates.
Prison gangs originally formed to protect inmates now have power beyond the prison walls being linked to bank heists, drug trafficking, and gun running.