▁also ▁gained ▁a ▁war rant ▁for ▁Dar ly ' s ▁arrest ▁for ▁a ▁murder ▁committed ▁in ▁another ▁state , ▁Par an á . ▁He ▁delivered ▁the ▁war rant ▁to ▁the ▁federal ▁police , ▁but ▁it ▁was ▁never ▁acted ▁upon . ▁ ▁Ass ass ination ▁M endes ▁had ▁received ▁death ▁thre ats ▁for ▁years ▁before ▁his ▁murder . ▁However , ▁in ▁the ▁months ▁prior ▁to ▁his ▁death , ▁various ▁pairs ▁of ▁gun men ▁h ired ▁by ▁Silva ▁observed ▁M endes ▁from ▁a ▁square ▁near ▁his ▁house ▁and ▁the ▁town ▁union ▁hall . ▁ ▁On ▁the ▁evening ▁of ▁Th urs day , ▁December ▁ 2 2 , ▁ 1 9 8 8 , ▁M endes ▁was ▁assass in ated ▁in ▁his ▁X ap uri ▁home ▁by ▁Dar ci , ▁the ▁son ▁of ▁Dar ly ▁Al ves ▁da ▁Silva . ▁The ▁shooting ▁took ▁place ▁exactly ▁one ▁week ▁after ▁M endes ' ▁ 4 4 th ▁birth day ▁when ▁he ▁had ▁predicted ▁he ▁would ▁" not ▁live ▁until ▁Christmas ". ▁ ▁Ar ound ▁his ▁birth day , ▁the ▁gun men ▁who ▁had ▁been ▁obser ving ▁him ▁disappeared ▁completely . ▁Their ▁absence ▁gave ▁the ▁community ▁a ▁sense ▁of ▁imp ending ▁do om , ▁as ▁they ▁had ▁been ▁constantly ▁present ▁since ▁May ▁of ▁the ▁same ▁year . ▁The ▁timing ▁of ▁their ▁disapp earance ▁led ▁many ▁to ▁believe ▁they ▁had ▁un success fully ▁attempted ▁to ▁kill ▁M endes ▁on ▁his ▁birth day ▁but ▁had ▁failed ▁because ▁of ▁numerous ▁guests ▁present ▁at ▁his ▁house . ▁ ▁M endes ▁was ▁the ▁