During a Christmas dinner, a whole Brazilian family fell ill after eating an arsenic-laced Christmas cake. Three members of the family, Maida Dos Anjos, Neuza Dos Anjos, and Tatiana Dos Santos, tragically died. Now that a suspect has been arrested, Maida's husband, Jefferson Luiz Moraes, who also ate the cake, has spoken up about his wife's tragic death.
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Jefferson talked with G1, a local news channel, about the events that transpired during the tragic Christmas dinner. "When I ate it I also sensed a bad taste, but because the cake had sugar on top it hid [the bad taste] a little bit," Jefferson said, reported by the Daily Mail. "Neuza ate the cake, and then was going to eat again and [someone] said 'don't eat it because it's not good."
Jefferson's wife, Neuza, stood up, feeling ill. Zeli Dos Anjos, the woman who baked the cake and also ate it, immediately felt the effects of the poison. "After that Zeli went across the corridor to vomit. It was three or four minutes, no more than that. After that Zeli passed out," Jefferson said.
Tragically, Maida, alongside her sister Neuza and Tatiana, Neuza's daughter, died of food poisoning. Authorities found traces of arsenic in the women's bodies. This, effectively, destroyed a family that is now left heartbroken and in mourning.
"My other half is gone. I have to rebuild everything again. Sleeping is difficult," Jefferson said. He was married to Maida for 32 years. "I didn't want to take sleeping pills, but I think I have to. At night, all that is left is a hole. And we were all having a great time"
Suspicions And Death
It was Maida's suspicions that could have led to her untimely death. Previous to their fatal dinner, her sister Zeli's husband, Paulo, died similarly of food poisoning. Maida became suspicious of Zeli's daughter-in-law, Deise Moura, who already had a complicated relationship with the family.
Reportedly, during a visit to Zeli and Paulo in September 2024, Moura attempted to settle their differences and brought different items, including food. Paulo and Zeli ate bananas and powdered milk, resulting in both being hospitalized. Paulo, unfortunately, died the following day.
Maida immediately suspected Moura as the one behind Paulo's death. The circumstances and previous history with Moura made her worried to the extent of refusing to eat any food not prepared by her during family meetings. Jefferson Moraes even recalls her wife's suspicions.
"I didn't join the dots of Paulo (the death of Zeli's husband)," Jefferson said. "But later, at Neuza's wake, my sister started researching there, and she showed me 'Look, it could be arsenic.'" Unfortunately, her suspicions became a reality as Maida tragically died of food poisoning, just months after Paulo.
Since then, police have arrested Moura and charged her with three counts of murder and three counts of attempted murder. Authorities believe Moura committed the murders. "We have no doubt that she researched poison - a poison that was odorless - and she bought the elements from a website and began to poison family members," Officer Marcos Velosos said.
Here’s a thought…it could be Diego the husband. Nobody ever wants to think it’s their blood hurting them so they point fingers at the one they’re with saying they’re manipulating their family to be against them when in reality it’s their family’s fault. This could be a situation where her husband spiked the flour. Then after she got arrested to make her look as though she is guilty he paid them to kill her & stage it as a suicide. Just my opinion, yet I agree there are just too many questions with nothing really proving she’s the one who’s done it other than speculation because they were estranged from the family. That’s not reasonable proof of a crime. It can be what makes you suspect yet not proof. I mean they’re BOTH living apart from the family before this, so what’s the proof that it’s even her & not him or not BOTH? & even if they did find proof she’s guilty, it could be orchestrated by her husband & then he has her killed to silence her. This isn’t in the US so it’s known it’s easier to bribe guards & get things done in prisons outside the US. This just looks like a case that’s too perfectly done without enough answers or real proof. Plus if she did kill herself it could be she feels like there’s no hope since they’re determined she’s at fault type of thing.