Brazil -- Murder probe after 3 die from eating arsenic-laced Xmas cake. Baker's husband recently died of food poisoning. 23 Dec 2024.

[Kemug]

Arsenic was known as the inheritance powder. I'm betting good old fashioned greed and malice.

MOO

So it seems that DIL tried to murder both of her husband's parents earlier, with bananas. Obviously for an inheritance. But MIL survived, so DIL struck again. MIL was the intended target, but DIL didn't care about any collateral damage. Not even a 10 year old boy. All JMO.

 

[Kemug]

I had thought it was really strange that the sister who was said to have baked the cake, and whom I believe is still in hospital, had eaten two pieces of cake. Now I am thinking that because she had survived the previous attack which killed her husband, her body had built up some resistance to the arsenic. It makes sense now, IMO.

 

[iamshadow21]

So it seems that DIL tried to murder both of her husband's parents earlier, with bananas. Obviously for an inheritance. But MIL survived, so DIL struck again. MIL was the intended target, but DIL didn't care about any collateral damage. Not even a 10 year old boy. All JMO.

Yep.

Poisoners and bombers. Callous, spiteful, sadistic, and indiscriminate. I hate them.

MOO

 

[iamshadow21]

I had thought it was really strange that the sister who was said to have baked the cake, and whom I believe is still in hospital, had eaten two pieces of cake. Now I am thinking that because she had survived the previous attack which killed her husband, her body had built up some resistance to the arsenic. It makes sense now.

It's not really that simple, though being dosed over time can create a tolerance. Simply, individual people have different reactions to toxic substances like arsenic. Someone may have a high baseline from being poisoned earlier or some environmental exposure, but someone else might have a much smaller dose and die when others live. Health conditions, especially things like ulcers, can make a massive difference to outcomes.

MOO

 

[Kemug]

It's not really that simple, though being dosed over time can create a tolerance. Simply, individual people have different reactions to toxic substances like arsenic. Someone may have a high baseline from being poisoned earlier or some environmental exposure, but someone else might have a much smaller dose and die when others live. Health conditions, especially things like ulcers, can make a massive difference to outcomes.

MOO

You're quite right. However, I just had another thought, a possible thing to consider. What if the attack by banana wasn't the DIL's first attempt to kill her in-laws? Maybe there had been several previous attempts as DIL learnt about the dosage needed. Hopefully MIL can recover enough to tell LE if she and her husband had any previous episodes of "food poisoning". I hope she can, as there are precious few potential witnesses left now.

 

[TootsieFootsie]

We don't know yet what evidence they have on the daughter in law so I'm waiting to be convinced one way or the other.

Except to say that I now think that Zeli isn't the one responsible.

 

[sunspun]

So was it the banana event that killed her father-in-law? Wonder how she did that? Maybe she made up a dish of bananas for them or something, instead of just giving them a whole (peeled?) banana. Seems an odd choice, considering arsenic tastes bitter.

So I suppose she is still currently married to their son (but not for long, I expect!) Wonder if we'll hear anything about the financial aspect... I would think her husband must have stood to inherit a lot of money, but you never know. And I would guess her parents aren't wealthy, or maybe they just weren't leaving it to her if they had much. Wouldn't blame them for that if so, knowing what she allegedly will do for money. It might turn out to have nothing to do with money too.

 

[Kemug]

There are several photos online of the arrested lady, in one of them she is in a gown at a graduation ceremony of some sort. Maybe she has a Science degree?

 

[Innana]

This is not where I expected this to go. I would have thought the mother. I wonder if she confessed or who they figured it out.

 

[iamshadow21]

Why are all images I've seen of the cake partly pixelated out, mostly on top of the cake.

Were there some words on the cake that LE doesn't want shown.

I haven't seen this. Maybe clear your cache?

 

[Kemug]

It is/was certainly a yummy looking cake!

 

[iamshadow21]

There are several photos online of the arrested lady, in one of them she is in a gown at a graduation ceremony of some sort. Maybe she has a Science degree?

You don't need a science degree to kill someone with arsenic, though if you've got access to the full array of lab chemicals, you're likely going to be able to get hold of arsenic with relative ease, compared to the average citizen.

MOO

 

[iamshadow21]

It is/was certainly a yummy looking cake!

I have to confess, I had Christmas cake for dessert because this thread was giving me cravings. Housemate got a mini one in a gift hamper, and she doesn't eat it, so I got it.

A homemade fruit cake is one of the true joys of this time of year. I only ever did it once, and it was amazing, but only I and my stepfather ate any. And he's gone now, so it's not really worth it just for myself.

I hate that not only did this poisoner murder and try to murder most of her family, she's forever tainted a beautiful family culinary tradition. I doubt anyone will ever make it again, and the next generation won't learn to make their grandmother's cake, and that family recipe will be lost forever. Because even if it originally came from a recipe book, family recipes evolve and change and rarely are those changes written down.

MOO

 

[vls12345]

Breaking news: the daughter-in-law of the woman who baked the cake has been arrested and charged with three counts of murder and three counts of attempted murder:

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14252977/christmas-cake-killed-arrested-daughter-law-woman-murder-attempted.html#newcomment

Deise Moura has been arrested.

I wonder if she was at the gathering when everyone ate pieces of the cake? Did she turn a piece down? Her husband wasn't mentioned -- was he there or not & did he try a piece or not? Sure seems like she must have hated all the people on her husband's side of the family if she was ok with poisoning them. MOO.

 

[jepop]

I'm surprised there was a n arrest. I thought this one was gonna turn out to be an accident.

I know this isn't a laughing matter, but this is totally me:

The only guest not to suffer any ill effects was Neuza's husband Joao who doesn't eat cake

Mistake that led to three people killed by poisoned cake revealed

Zeli Silva Dos Anjos , 61, who baked the traditional Brazilian festive treat, was among seven people who attended a pre Christmas annual party on December 23 - but only four survived.

www.dailymail.co.uk

I notoriously refuse all sweets/cakes.

I'm the opposite and notoriously accept all cakes, except fruit/Xmas cake ( no thanks to peel, raisins etc). Any other type of cake and I would have been an instant goner.

This is an horrific thing for the victims. Hoping the MIL of the alleged poisoner will he ok and recover. Thank God the young fella was not killed.

 

[Dotta]

"Brazilian cops reveal long-standing family feud in Christmas cake arsenic poisoning case
as daughter-in-law of woman who baked dish that killed three is arrested on suspicion of murder."

Poison Christmas cake case arrest 'after suspect's gesture at funeral'

Deise Moura was held yesterday by police at the home she shares with her husband Diego in southern Brazil, with police confirming that a suspect had been detained on suspicion of murder.

www.dailymail.co.uk

 

[imstilla.grandma]

At the victims' funeral in December, Deise is said to have placed a 'set of rosary beads and a rose' in the hands of the Maida and Tatiana as they lay at the cemetery in their caskets.

It prompted an extraordinary outburst from one furious relative who a source told MaiOnline shouted: 'Why are you here? You didn't like any of them. Everyone knows.'

The source added: 'Diego and Deise kept themselves apart from the rest of the family the last few months. They didn't really participate much. There was tension.'

Police are set to expand on what they believe lies behind the horror poisoning, with reports in Brazil pointing to the suspect and Zeli having quarrelled in the past in a dispute said to be linked to what subsequently occurred.

Poison Christmas cake case arrest 'after suspect's gesture at funeral'

Deise Moura was held yesterday by police at the home she shares with her husband Diego in southern Brazil, with police confirming that a suspect had been detained on suspicion of murder.

www.dailymail.co.uk

 

[imstilla.grandma]

They lost their lives within hours of eating the cake, with police chief Marcus Vinicius Veloso saying today that the flour found in Zeli's home had contained large amounts of arsenic.

'We suspect the individual arrested entered Zeli's house and then contaminated the flour,' the investigating officer revealed at a press conference today.

Police said that the 'disagreements' between the suspect and Zeli stretched back almost 20 years, but they refused to go into what exactly they were other than to say 'further elements would be released in due course'.

Woman arrested over cake poisoning 'had searched for arsenic online'

Deise Moura, the daughter-in-law of one of the women who was poisoned but survived, was arrested at her home on suspicion of triple murder and attempted murder.

www.dailymail.co.uk

"Diego and Deise kept themselves apart from the rest of the family the last few months. They didn't really participate much. There was tension," a source told the outlet. Authorities are investigating the underlying issues between Zeli and Moura. This strained relationship could have led to the tragic passing of Maida, Neuza, and Tatiana

Arrest Made After Three People Die From Eating Poisoned Christmas Cake

Police arrested Deise Moura, the daughter-in-law of the woman who cooked a Christmas cake that killed three in Brazil.

www.wideopencountry.com

 

[katydid23]

They lost their lives within hours of eating the cake, with police chief Marcus Vinicius Veloso saying today that the flour found in Zeli's home had contained large amounts of arsenic.

'We suspect the individual arrested entered Zeli's house and then contaminated the flour,' the investigating officer revealed at a press conference today.

Police said that the 'disagreements' between the suspect and Zeli stretched back almost 20 years, but they refused to go into what exactly they were other than to say 'further elements would be released in due course'.

20 years? How old is Deise? She must have married into the family pretty young if the disagreement goes back 20 years.

Woman arrested over cake poisoning 'had searched for arsenic online'

Deise Moura, the daughter-in-law of one of the women who was poisoned but survived, was arrested at her home on suspicion of triple murder and attempted murder.

www.dailymail.co.uk

"Diego and Deise kept themselves apart from the rest of the family the last few months. They didn't really participate much. There was tension," a source told the outlet. Authorities are investigating the underlying issues between Zeli and Moura. This strained relationship could have led to the tragic passing of Maida, Neuza, and Tatiana

Arrest Made After Three People Die From Eating Poisoned Christmas Cake

Police arrested Deise Moura, the daughter-in-law of the woman who cooked a Christmas cake that killed three in Brazil.

www.wideopencountry.com

 

[imstilla.grandma]

oops, wrong answer read too quickly, dbm