A law student who allegedly tested deadly rat poison on 10 dogs has been accused of killing four people in a chilling five-month killing spree across Brazil.
Brazilian woman Ana Paula Veloso Fernandes, 36, who allegedly killed a 65-year-old man with a poisoned bean stew, now faces charges for three further murders in shocking new claims from prosecutors.
Fernandes was allegedly helped by her twin sister Roberta Cristina Veloso Fernandes, 35, and friend Michelle Paiva da Silva, 43, who is the daughter of one of the alleged victims.
Police allege the three women carried out the murders between January and May 2025 in Guarulhos and São Paulo in south-eastern Brazil, and Duque de Caxias in the state of Rio de Janeiro.
Investigators believe motives ranged from revenge to financial gain, with one execution allegedly costing £540 (4,000 Brazilian Real) to commission.
Manipulative and Cold-Blooded
Police Chief Halisson Ideiao described how Fernandes would use different strategies to get closer to her victims, noting that in every case under investigation, she was the last person to have contact with them and the first to call police.
The law enforcement official made a chilling assessment of the accused serial killer’s mindset, stating that Ana Paula takes pleasure in killing, adding that her motivation doesn’t really matter because she simply wants to kill.
He described Fernandes as extremely manipulative, noting she tried to control the narrative and appeared to cooperate with investigators whilst simultaneously trying to mislead them.
The police chief said she showed coldness, a lack of remorse and a clear pleasure, not only in committing the crime, but in remaining around it, in witnessing the impact of what she did.
He warned that she would certainly attempt to kill others again if released, describing her as a high-risk offender with no conscience about her actions.
First Victim Found Decomposed
Marcelo Hari Fonseca, 51, who was allegedly murdered in Guarulhos in January, is believed to be the first victim of the killing spree.
Fernandes had moved into his house under the guise of renting a room from the man, who owned the property where she was living.
Within just four days of moving in, she had allegedly poisoned him and left his body to decompose in the residence before authorities discovered the grim scene.
Police initially closed the inquiry but later reopened it when patterns emerged linking the death to other suspicious poisonings involving the law student.
Dating App Murder
In April, Maria Aparecida Rodrigues, 49, was found dead after having coffee and cake at Fernandes’ home in Guarulhos.
The victim’s daughter said the two women had met via a dating app, with Fernandes using the false name “Carla” to conceal her identity.
Rodrigues was discovered in her bedroom, seminude, with foam coming from her mouth, after her sister went to check on her when she failed to respond to messages.
Police allege Fernandes tried to frame a former boyfriend, a military police officer with whom she had been having an extramarital affair, for Rodrigues’ death.
She allegedly used forged notes and made a supposedly poisoned cake to support her false claims, attempting to deflect suspicion onto the officer’s wife.
Murder for Hire
The third known death happened on 26 April in Duque de Caxias, Rio de Janeiro state.
Neil Correia da Silva, a 65-year-old retiree and father of one of Fernandes’ college classmates, died after eating a feijoada bean stew laced with poison.
Police say the murder had been ordered by da Silva’s daughter, Michele Paiva de Queiroz, who allegedly paid Fernandes £540 (4,000 Brazilian Real) to carry out the execution.
Investigators claim Paiva de Queiroz financed Fernandes’ journey from Guarulhos to Rio de Janeiro specifically to assist in killing her own father, with whom she allegedly had a strained relationship.
The victim fell ill at home after consuming the poisoned dish and died hours later at Adao Pereira Nunes Municipal Hospital.
Faked Pregnancy Murder
The fourth and final alleged murder happened in May, when Fernandes reported the death of Hayder Mhazres, a 21-year-old Tunisian man.
She had been romantically involved with the young man prior to his death, having met him through a dating application.
After their breakup, she allegedly faked a pregnancy in an attempt to rekindle the relationship, and when rejected by Mhazres, she allegedly poisoned him with a contaminated milkshake.
He died after feeling sick at home in the Brás neighbourhood of São Paulo, with Fernandes accompanying him in the ambulance to hospital.
After the young man’s death, she went to the police station to report what had happened, claiming he had consumed drugs before falling ill.
TCC Code for Contract Killings
Messages between the suspects were allegedly labelled using the code TCC, an acronym for Trabalho de Conclusão de Curso, meaning final university thesis in Portuguese.
The label was allegedly used to disguise discussions about contract killings and payments for the murders, with police believing the sisters were offering their deadly services for hire.
According to investigators, each execution would cost at least £540 divided equally between the twin sisters, who had created what police describe as a murder-for-hire scheme.
Confession About Testing on Dogs
Fernandes, de Queiroz and Fernandes’ twin sister have all been arrested in relation to the alleged murders and remain in custody.
Police say Fernandes confessed to killing 10 dogs to test the strength of the poison before using it on her human victims.
She admitted testing the method and timing of the poison’s effects on the animals, demonstrating what investigators described as calculated planning and a complete lack of empathy.
During a raid on her home, officers found terbufos, a banned pesticide similar to rat poison that is considered highly toxic.
The substance is an agricultural chemical that has been outlawed for use in Brazil but remains available through illicit channels.
Bodies Exhumed for Testing
Police are currently awaiting the results from a toxicology report on three exhumed bodies in order to confirm what substance was used to kill the victims.
The body of the Tunisian victim was not exhumed as it had already been repatriated to Tunisia for burial before suspicions arose.
Preliminary autopsy results indicated pulmonary oedema and internal signs compatible with intoxication in the victims who were examined.
Prosecutors have charged Fernandes with four counts of qualified homicide, citing base motives, use of poison, and impossibility of defence as aggravating factors.
The Public Prosecutor’s Office has classified the homicides as driven by financial gain and has requested that Fernandes face life imprisonment if convicted.
Serial Killer Classification
The São Paulo Court of Justice, through the Jury Court of Guarulhos, accepted the charges in full, accusing Fernandes of four triply qualified homicides.
In their denunciation, prosecutors Rodrigo Merli Antunes and Vania Caceres Stefanoni stated that beyond the undeniable gravity of the crimes committed, we are before a true serial killer.
Judge Rodrigo Tellini de Aguirre Camargo noted in his decision that Fernandes manipulated information and evidence to disassociate herself from the deaths and attribute responsibility to third parties.
He also observed that although she is investigated for similar crimes in other states, there is no connection between the cases due to the diversity of victims, witnesses and locations, characterising habitual criminality rather than continuity.
The judge further noted that Fernandes does not possess strong ties to the district of the crime, with information suggesting she has no fixed residence and frequently moves between different cities, reinforcing the need for preventive detention.
The investigation remains ongoing, with authorities examining whether there may be additional victims linked to the law student’s activities.
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