This is the grave of the man who died of food poisoning six months before his wife baked an ‘arsenic-laced’ Christmas cake that killed three of her relatives.
Zeli Terezinha Silva dos Anjos, 61, made the traditional Christmas treat for her family on December 23.
But within hours of tucking in, her sisters Maida Bernice Flores da Silva, 58, and Neuza Denize Silva Dos Anjos, 65, and Neuza’s daughter Tatiana Silvia Dos Santos, 43, were all dead – and detectives revealed traces of deadly arsenic were found in their bodies.
Zeli, who ate two slices of the deadly cake, and her 10-year-old great nephew were also taken ill and rushed to hospital in Torres near Porto Alegre in southern Brazil and now police are to exhume the remains of her husband Paulo Luiz as part of the investigation.
Paulo died from suspected food poisoning in September and now authorities have made an official request to remove his remains from his resting place so they can be examined.
Paulo is buried in the Sao Vincent cemetery in the Porto Alegre suburb of Canoas where his wife’s sisters and her niece were buried on Christmas Day and Boxing Day after their bodies were released by the authorities.
Denise Teixeira Gomes, a friend of schoolteacher Maida who attended the funeral, said: ‘She was a happy, cheery woman who lived life to the full, whenever she could, she would go travelling.’
Police have already interviewed 15 members of the family, and they have also searched Zeli’s home in nearby Arroio do Sal and are said to be examining CCTV footage of her buying ingredients at a local supermarket.
This is the grave of the man who died of food poisoning six months before his wife baked an ‘arsenic-laced’ Christmas cake that killed three of her relatives
The graves of Tatiana Denize Silva dos Santos, 43 and Neuza Denise Silva dos Anjos, 65 in the Sao Vincente Cemetery in Porto Alegre, Brazil
Paulo Luiz (pictured) died from suspected food poisoning in September and now authorities have made an official request to remove his remains from his resting place so they can be examined
It was reported that ‘expired food products including mayonnaise’ had been found at Zeli’s house during police searches.
She and her great nephew are currently in the Nossa Senhora dos Navegantes hospital in Torres, where according to the latest medical bulletin they are said to be ‘clinically stable’.
On Saturday chief Marcus Vinicius Veloso confirmed blood tests had found traces of arsenic in their bodies and the victims.
He added: ‘As we became aware of this fact, we opened an investigation, and we are going to exhume the body (Paulo Luiz) to check for traces of poison.’
A picture released by police showed around a quarter of the cake – fruit filled with white icing and topped with cherries missing – and Zeli told them she had eaten ‘two slices more than the others.’
Of the seven people at the meal, one man did not eat the cake and suffered no ill effects.
Officer Veloso added: ‘With the evidence so far collected, we do not know whether the poisoning was negligent or intentional.
‘So far, I have not been able to find any intentional conduct and we have been told that there was no animosity between the family members.
Zeli dos Anjos (pictured) prepared the traditional ‘Bolo de Natal’ festive treat for a family meal on December 23
Neuza Denize Silva dos Anjo, 65, pictured, was rushed to hospital in critical condition before also dying the following day
Maida Berenice Flores da Silva, 58, pictured, died after having the traditional cake on December 23
Tatiana Denize Silva dos Anjos, 43, pictured, died following having the Christmas cake on December 23
Tributes have since been paid to Maida, a teacher, hailed as ‘wonderful’ by friends
‘However, other evidence that comes to light may contradict what I think now. This is an investigation that requires great caution.
‘We are working mainly by hearing from all the people who had contact with the family to understand this family life.
‘In short, the statements are that the family lived in harmony. This leads us to believe so far, that there was no malicious conduct.’
He added that survivors had told police the cake had ‘a peppery taste’ and that they had experienced sickness and diarrhoea in the early hours of Christmas Eve.
Hospital official said Tatiana and Maida suffered fatal heart attacks and Neuza died from ‘shock after food poisoning’.
Arsenic is a highly toxic substance, but police said that Zeli was currently ‘not a suspect’ in the current case or in her husband’s death.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
