Mother-in-law of woman who 'poisoned Christmas cake' speaks out for first time since she was found dead in prison

A woman was recently found dead in her prison cell after being accused of murdering three relatives by poisoning a Christmas cake.

And her mother-in-law has now spoken out for the first time.

Deise Moura dos Anjos was facing three murder and three attempted murder charges after Maida Bernice Flores da Silva, 58, Neuza Denize Silva Dos Anjos, 65, and Neuza’s daughter Tatiana Silvia Dos Santos, 43, died within hours of eating the traditional ‘Bolo de Natal’ cake on 23 December.

Like two others, Zeli dos Anjos spent time in hospital after the poisoning in southern Brazil. And she has now said she holds no ill will against the now-deceased Deise.

The cake was found to be laced with arsenic (Youtube/ News USA-24)

In an official statement released by Brazilian police via CNN Brasil, they said: “The officers immediately provided first aid and called the Emergency Medical Service, which, upon arriving at the scene, confirmed the death.

“Deise was alone in the cell. The circumstances will be investigated by the Civil Police and the General Institute of Forensics.”

Having been hospitalised for 19 days following the poisoned cake ordeal, Zeli called Deise 'evil’ for taking away the ‘most important people in my life’.

Speaking on Brazilian weekly news show Fantastico, she said: “I have no pity, no anger, no hatred, I don’t know what kind of feeling. But when I think that she took away the four most important people in my life…”

Zeli then went on to say that she ‘knew’ Deise was ‘evil’ and that ‘she did wicked things’.

“But I never thought it would reach such a level,” she added.

The mother-in-law had prepared the Christmas cake as part of a long-running family tradition, unaware that the woman had laced the flour with arsenic.

And she recalled the moment her relatives ate it: “It all happened very quickly, almost immediately. One went to the bathroom, another to vomit.”

There was reportedly a long-standing feud within the family (Youtube / USA News-24)

Following Deise’s arrest in January, forensic examination of Zeli’s husband, Paulo Luiz dos Anjos, who died in September, suggested that he was also poisoned by arsenic.

And Zeli says she was also hospitalised last year after drinking coffee made with powdered milk given to them by Deise. It was this that is now being linked to Paulo’s death.

“Several people spoke to me back then and told me, ‘Do the tests, do the tests’ but I just thought it was impossible,” Zeli said.

Police are now reportedly trying to confirm the details of a ‘suicide note’ left by Deise as head of the Rio Grande do Sul state police, Fernando Sotre, told journalists: “It was like an outburst, saying she was innocent, saying she was someone who was suffering, who was depressed.”