NewsBrazilian woman arrested for lethal Christmas cake poisoning

Brazilian woman arrested for lethal Christmas cake poisoning

In Porto Alegre, Brazil, a woman suspected of murdering three relatives and attempting to kill three more has been arrested. Deise Moura allegedly added arsenic to a Christmas cake. She was detained at her home in Rio Grande do Sul.

A deadly ingredient was added to the holiday cake/ Pictorial illustration
A deadly ingredient was added to the holiday cake/ Pictorial illustration
Images source: © Getty Images | NurPhoto
Justyna Lasota-Krawczyk

Zeli Dos Anjos, Deise's mother-in-law, prepared the traditional holiday cake that killed three family members during a gathering in the town of Torres on December 23. Brazilian prosecutors confirmed that analysis of Deise Moura's phone revealed internet searches related to arsenic. The suspect reportedly sought information about the deadly substance as early as November and also a few days before committing the crime.

According to Brazilian media reports, evidence from Deise's phone is crucial to the case against her.

Ate cake with arsenic

Investigators confirmed that the cause of death for three and the poisoning of three more was eating cake with high arsenic content. The harmful substance was present in the cake at a lethal concentration, too high to occur naturally.

The mother-in-law, who was likely the target of the criminal plan, is still fighting for her life in the hospital. After eating the cake, her 43-year-old daughter and two sisters died.

- We suspect that the detained person entered Zeli's house and contaminated the flour, - revealed an investigating officer at a press conference. Police and forensic teams confirmed that "elevated levels" of arsenic were found in the cake as well as in the blood and urine of the deceased and survivors.

Family conflict as the cause

The heinous crime was likely driven by a long-standing family conflict. Police officers disclosed that "disagreements" between the suspect and her mother-in-law go back almost 20 years, but they refused to reveal details.

- We knew that there were minor disagreements between the suspect and family members over the years. At first glance, everyone at the gathering seemed to get along and be at peace, but as we expanded our investigation, we found motives that likely pushed the woman to take this step, - revealed the officer.

Police also confirmed that they plan to exhume the body of Zeli’s husband, Paulo, who died in September from "food poisoning", to determine if there were traces of arsenic in his body.

Source: Daily Mail

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