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 his relatives.
Zeli Terezinha Silva dos Anjos, 61, prepared the traditional Christmas gift for her family on December 23.
But within hours of going to bed, 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 the Detectives revealed that traces of deadly arsenic were found in their bodies.
Zeli, who ate two slices of the deadly cake, and his 10-year-old great-nephew also fell ill and were rushed to Torres hospital, near Porto Alegre, southern Brazil, and now police must exhume their remains. husband Paulo Luiz as part of the investigation.
Paulo died of suspected food poisoning in September and authorities have now made an official request to remove his remains from his resting place so they can be examined.
Paulo is buried in the Sao Vicente cemetery in the Porto Alegre suburb of Canoas, where his wife’s sisters and niece were buried on Christmas Day and St. Stephen’s Day after authorities released their bodies.
Denise Teixeira Gomes, a friend of teacher Maida who attended the funeral, said: “She was a happy and cheerful woman who lived life to the fullest, traveling whenever she could.”
Police have already interviewed 15 family members and 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 made an ‘arsenic’ Christmas cake that killed three of his relatives.
The graves of Tatiana Denize Silva dos Santos, 43, and Neuza Denise Silva dos Anjos, 65, at the Sao Vicente cemetery in Porto Alegre, Brazil
Paulo Luiz (pictured) died of suspected food poisoning in September and authorities have now made an official request to remove his remains from his resting place so they can be examined.
It was reported that during police searches, “expired food products, including mayonnaise,” had been found in Zeli’s home.
She and her great-nephew are currently at the Nossa Senhora dos Navegantes hospital in Torres, where, according to the latest medical bulletin, they are “clinically stable.”
On Saturday, Chief Marcus Vinicius Veloso confirmed that blood tests had found traces of arsenic in their bodies and in the victims.
And he added: ‘When we became aware of this fact, we opened an investigation and we are going to exhume the body (of Paulo Luiz) to verify if there are traces of poison.’
An image released by police showed about a quarter of the cake – fruit filled with white icing and topped with missing cherries – and Zeli told them she had eaten “two more slices than the others.”
Of the seven people who attended the meal, one man did not eat the cake and suffered no ill effects.
Officer Veloso added: ‘With the evidence gathered so far, we do not know if the poisoning was negligent or intentional.
‘So far I have not been able to find any intentional behavior and we have been told there was no animosity between family members.
Zeli dos Anjos (pictured) prepared the traditional ‘Bolo de Natal’ 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 next day.
Maida Berenice Flores da Silva, 58, pictured, died after eating the traditional cake on December 23.
Tatiana Denize Silva dos Anjos, 43, pictured, died after eating Christmas cake on December 23.
Tributes have since been paid to Maida, a teacher hailed as “wonderful” by her friends.
‘However, other evidence coming to light may contradict what I think now. This is an investigation that requires great caution.
‘We work mainly by listening to 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 that the cake had a “spicy taste” and that they had experienced nausea and diarrhea in the early hours of Christmas Eve.
A hospital official said Tatiana and Maida suffered fatal heart attacks and Neuza died of “shock after food poisoning.”
Arsenic is a highly toxic substance, but police said Zeli was currently “not a suspect” in the current case or in her husband’s death.