Husband of woman killed by arsenic-laced Christmas cake recalled fatal family gathering

The grief-stricken husband of one of the three women who died after eating arsenic-laced Christmas cake in Brazil last month recalls the deadly family gathering like a “horror movie,” leaving him devastated. He said that the loss left a “hole'' in his heart. ”

Jefferson Luis Moraes, 60, killed his wife Maida Bernice Flores after eating poisonous bolo de natal (Brazilian Christmas cake) during a family holiday celebration in Torres. Da Silva, 58, and two other female relatives are struggling to move on after being murdered. December 23rd.

“My better half is gone. I have to start all over again.” Moraes told local news channel G1. About my wife of 32 years.

“Sleeping is difficult. I didn't want to take sleeping pills, but I thought I had to. They leave a hole at night.”

Maida and Tatiana Denise Silva dos Anjos, 43, each died of cardiac arrest after eating the deadly dessert. Tatiana's 65-year-old mother, Noisa Denise Silva dos Anjos, died the following day on Christmas Eve. The cause of death was given as “shock after intoxication.”

Zeri Teresinha Silva dos Anjos, 61, unknowingly helped prepare the contaminated cake with her daughter-in-law and was later arrested and hospitalized along with two other family members.

Jefferson said her family quickly realized that the cake “didn't taste good” minutes before she started vomiting and feeling sick. Within hours, his wife died, the newspaper reported.

Zeri's daughter-in-law, Deise Moura dos Anjos, was arrested earlier this month and charged with triple murder after investigators detected large amounts of arsenic in the victim's blood. One of them.

Police said traces of arsenic were also detected in the cake and cake ingredients, and that the suspect had researched arsenic on the internet before the fatal accident.

The disturbing discovery prompted authorities to exhume the body of Zeri's husband, who died of food poisoning in September. At the time, his death was ruled to be natural, but tests revealed he had ingested arsenic before dying, the outlet reported.

Mr. Jefferson said he was left “terrified” by the devastating series of events.

“But we didn't know yet that it would be this serious. I didn't weigh in on Paulo (Zeri's husband's death),” he told the media.

“But then, at Neuza's wake, my sister started researching there and showed me, 'Look, it might be arsenic.'

Surviving family members recalled the cake having an “unpleasant” and “spicy” odor, police said.