Christmas Cake Poisoning Suspect Dies in Jail Under Mysterious Circumstances

A Brazilian woman, Deise Moura dos Anjos, suspected of fatally poisoning relatives with a tainted Christmas cake, has been discovered dead in her jail cell. Law enforcement believes it may be a suicide as investigations into the tragedy continue.

 

In a shocking development, Deise Moura dos Anjos, a 42-year-old Brazilian woman accused of poisoning her husband's family with a Christmas cake laced with arsenic, has been found dead in her prison cell. Local authorities suspect her death could have been a suicide. She had been incarcerated since January while awaiting trial for the deaths of three relatives on Christmas Eve and the attempted murder of three others.

The notorious cake became the center of an investigation when forensic tests revealed that it contained flour contaminated with high levels of arsenic. This led to scrutiny of Moura dos Anjos, who had denied any involvement in the crime. Cléber dos Santos Lima, the local police chief, declared his conviction that Moura dos Anjos had meticulously planned and executed the poisonings, citing evidence that demonstrated her purchase of arsenic on multiple occasions.

Further investigations into the suspected poisoning revealed that the cake was made at the home of Moura dos Anjos's mother-in-law, Zeli dos Anjos, who also fell severely ill after consuming it. However, after ruling her out as a suspect—since she had eaten the cake but survived—investigators continued to delve into the matter. Tragically, two of Zeli’s sisters and her niece died from the effects, but her 10-year-old grandson and a brother-in-law survived the ordeal.

Adding to the complexity of the investigation, authorities are now also probing the death of Moura dos Anjos's father-in-law, who passed away in September. Exhumation of his body found significant arsenic levels, raising further suspicions of foul play.

As this shocking case unfolds, the community is left to grapple with the implications of such a tragic family betrayal during what should have been a festive holiday gathering.