Deise Moura dos Anjos, who faced allegations of murdering three family members with a poisoned Christmas cake, has reportedly died in her prison cell. Authorities suspect suicide while investigating her possible involvement in additional poison-related deaths.
Tragic Turn in Christmas Cake Poisoning Case as Suspect Found Dead in Jail
Tragic Turn in Christmas Cake Poisoning Case as Suspect Found Dead in Jail
Deise Moura dos Anjos, accused of poisoning family with arsenic-laced cake, is discovered deceased in her cell, raising questions about her detention.
A Brazilian woman, Deise Moura dos Anjos, aged 42, has been found dead in her jail cell, a development that follows serious charges of poisoning her husband's family with a Christmas cake laced with arsenic. Authorities believe her death, suspected to be self-inflicted, marks a grim turn in a case that has captivated the nation since the incident occurred on Christmas Eve.
Moura dos Anjos had been in custody since January, charged with the murder of three relatives and attempted murder of three more following their consumption of the toxic dessert. Forensic examinations revealed that the flour used for the cake was contaminated with high levels of arsenic, leading to allegations against her. Additionally, the investigation broadened to include her late father-in-law, who had died in September. After exhumation, his body was found to contain elevated arsenic levels, suggesting he may have fallen victim to the same fate.
Despite her claims of innocence, local police chief Cléber dos Santos Lima stated he had substantial evidence linking her to the crime, mentioning that she had reportedly purchased arsenic multiple times. Investigators sifted through the family home where the poisoning occurred, ultimately tracing the poison back to the flour used in the Christmas cake prepared by the suspect’s mother-in-law, Zeli dos Anjos. Although initially implicated, Zeli was cleared after falling ill herself but fortunately survived.
The poisoning incident claimed the lives of Moura dos Anjos's two sisters and one niece, while her 10-year-old grandson and the spouse of one of her deceased sisters managed to recover after treatment. The shocking end to Deise Moura dos Anjos's story has left many unanswered questions regarding the motives and circumstances surrounding this tragic case.
