Woman Sentenced to 66 Years for Poisoned Easter Egg That Killed Two Children

Overview

• A jury in Imperatriz convicted Jordélia Pereira Barbosa and on Tuesday fixed a combined sentence of 66 years, 8 months and 7 days to begin immediately in closed regime, with her preventive detention maintained.
• Forensic tests by the Instituto de Criminalística detected chumbinho, an illegal and highly toxic rodenticide, in the Easter egg, in the victims' bodies and in material seized from the accused, linking the item to the deaths.
• Investigators and the sentence record say the crime was planned: Jordélia traveled from Santa Inês to Imperatriz, used disguises, stayed in a hotel under a false name and hired a motoboy to deliver the egg with a note.
• The victims were Luiz Fernando, 7, and Evillyn, 13, who died after eating the chocolate, and their mother Mirian Lira survived after intensive care; the court ordered joint indemnities of 400 minimum wages to the parents and 100 minimum wages to Mirian.
• The defense has announced it will appeal the conviction, and legal experts note that Brazil’s rules on maximum time in prison and regime progression could affect how long the total sentence is actually served.