Brazilian authorities have linked a family feud to a deadly Christmas cake poisoning that killed three people and left others in hospital in Rio Grande do Sul state.
Deise Moura, the daughter-in-law of one of the survivors, has been arrested on suspicion of triple murder and attempted murder. Investigators say she poisoned the flour used in the cake with arsenic, leading to the deaths at a family gathering in Torres on December 23.
The poisoned cake caused the deaths of Maida da Silva, 58, Neuza Dos Anjos, 65, and Neuza’s daughter, Tatiana Dos Santos, 43. Zeli Dos Anjos, who baked the cake, is still in hospital in critical condition.
Tatiana’s 10-year-old son, Matheus, and Maida’s husband, Jefferson, were also hospitalised but survived, while Neuza’s husband, Joao, did not eat the cake and was unharmed.
The victims reportedly started vomiting just minutes after eating the cake, which they said tasted “bitter and peppery.” Three of the seven people who ate it died within hours.
Police and forensic experts have confirmed that the cake contained dangerously high levels of arsenic, as did the blood and urine of the victims.
Marguet Mittman, the director of the General Institute of Expertise, said one victim had 350 times the lethal dose of arsenic in their body.
Investigators believe the flour at Zeli’s house was deliberately poisoned. Police chief Marcus Vinicius Veloso said, “We suspect the individual arrested entered Zeli’s house and then contaminated the flour.”
Police have revealed that Deise Moura had been in conflict with Zeli for nearly 20 years. Although the details are unclear, authorities think these long-running disputes could have been the reason for the poisoning.
The investigation has expanded to include Zeli’s first husband, Paulo Luis, who died in September 2023 from suspected food poisoning after eating mashed bananas from the family’s garden. His body is to be exhumed for further tests, with police thinking he may have died from arsenic poisoning.
Police have also taken more evidence from Zeli’s home, including pesticides and baking ingredients. Veloso described the evidence against Deise as “strong and robust,” although more lab results are still awaited.
The tragedy has left the family and local community in shock. A relative called the events “strange” and suggested that a grudge may have been behind the crime. Isabel Moraes, Jefferson’s sister, said she was stunned by Deise’s arrest, saying, “We just don’t know what to say. Someone so close to us—we never imagined it.”
Deise is facing charges of triple murder and three counts of attempted murder, with the added factor of poison being used. A hearing will be held, and police are continuing their investigation to uncover all the details of the alleged crimes.
