On December 23, three Brazilian women died after eating a Christmas cake prepared by Zeli Terezinha Silva dos Anjos. While ongoing investigations and family testimony do not think Zeli had intentionally poisoned her own family members, a new revelation could explain the fatal cake tragedy. According to local authorities, power cuts could have contributed to the women's demise.
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Maida, 57, Neuza, 65, and Tatiana, Neuza's daughter, 43, died shortly after consuming the cake. Zeli and two other family members, including a 10-year-old boy, also ate the cake. However, they were recovering from the poisoning at a hospital.
It was revealed by police that, when investigating the scene, they found many expired products. These might have caused the poisoning. Coincidentally, Zeli's husband, Paulo Luiz, died of food poisoning in September. While initially a non-suspicious death, authorities will now exhume the body to analyze it.
According to the Daily Mail, police chief Marcos Vinicius Veloso now believes that power cuts may have contributed to Zeli's ingredients going bad.
"Zeli had spent some time away from her place in Arroio do Sal and when she returned to it she found the fridge off because from the inquiries we've been able to make, it appears there'd been some sort of power cut there," Veloso said. "When she went into the property there was an unbearable smell.
Veloso then stated that, while Zeli threw out some products like meat, many other items were instead reused. Police are now investigating whether currants or fruit that had gone bad were used to bake the Christmas cake that caused Maida, Neuza, and Tatiana's deaths.
A Strange Incident
Following the tragic deaths of the women, blood tests confirmed that the women had traces of arsenic. This naturally occurring element can be found in drinking water, and food such as fish, meat, poultry, and dairy products, among others, according to the World Health Organization.
Veloso previously declared that it was unclear whether Zeli had intentionally poisoned the cake, but believed it was an accident. "With the evidence we have collected, we do not know whether the poisoning was negligent or intentional," Veloso said. "So far, I have not been able to find any intentional conduct. However, other evidence that comes to light may contradict what I think now."
Authorities will interview Zeli once she leaves the hospital, where she is in stable condition.
