Husband of woman who died in 'Christmas cake poisoning' breaks silence after relative arrested for murders
15 January 2025, 06:55 | Updated: 15 January 2025, 07:36
The husband of one of the three women who died after eating a Christmas cake suspected to have been poisoned by their relative has spoken out for the first time.
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Jefferson Luiz Moraes said his life had been changed forever and he would "have to rebuild everything again" after the death of his wife of 32 years, and two family members.
Deise Moura was arrested earlier this month at her home in southern Brazil after her relatives, sisters Maida da Silva, 58, Neuza Dos Anjos and Neuza’s daughter Tatiana Dos Santos, 43, died having eaten a traditional Brazilian Christmas cake.
Moura's mother-in-law Zeli Dos Anjos made the cake and fell ill after the family meal at Torres near Porto Alegre on December 23.
Zeli’s great nephew, 10, was also taken ill at the party
Jefferson also tried the cake and immediately fell ill. Neuza’s husband didn’t eat any of it.
He said: "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 added: "Neuza ate the cake, and then was going to eat again and [someone] said 'don't eat it because it's not good.
"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 his wife's death had left him feeling like he was playing "a role".
He added: "My other half is gone. I have to rebuild everything again. Sleeping is difficult. 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."
Jefferson said: "'Maida loved these festive occasions. Christmas, New Year's and birthdays. She always enjoyed these."
He said the discovery of arsenic had been in the cake had left him feeling "terror".
"But we didn't know it was going to be so serious yet. I didn't join the dots of Paulo (the death of Zeli's husband). But later, at Neuza's wake, my sister started researching there, and she showed me "Look, it could be arsenic".
A police spokesman said: “The woman was arrested for triple homicide and a triple attempted homicide.
“She was taken initially to a police station at Canoas, then to Torres police station and is now in the women’s jail in the city, at this moment we cannot say anything else.”
Provisional reports revealed arsenic was found in the blood of the victims.
According to reports, members of the group complained the cake tasted ‘bitter and peppery’ after eating it, and within minutes they were all vomiting. Multiple ambulances were called and they were rushed to hospital.
