A 36-year-old law student suspected of committing multiple murders took the initiative to contact the police herself in an attempt to manipulate the ongoing investigations.
Ana Paula Veloso, the suspect, is accused of poisoning Neil Correa da Silva, a pensioner, in Baixada Fluminense, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, using a toxic bean stew. Detectives have reason to believe that the victim’s daughter, Michele Paiva da Silva, was involved in the planning of the murder, as evidenced by incriminating text messages detailing their malicious scheme.
Throughout the various police reports, Veloso is portrayed either as a complainant, witness, or even a supposed victim to influence the investigation and divert attention away from herself. An investigator stated, “She derived pleasure from manipulating the investigations by fabricating events, concocting threats, and enlisting the police to bolster her fabricated narrative.”
Concerns about Veloso’s behavior first arose in January when she alerted the Military Police about her neighbor, Marcelo Fonseca, who she claimed had been unresponsive and confined in his house in Guarulhos for several days. Shockingly, she spoke calmly and with apparent concern to the authorities, but video footage of the call captured her cracking a smile.
Investigators later discovered that Marcelo had been poisoned days before, and despite the crime, the suspect continued to reside in his house under the guise of being a tenant.
Described as a “psychopath” and a “serial killer,” Veloso is suspected to have received payment of R$4,000 (£560) to carry out the crime. Joint investigations by the Rio and Sao Paulo police led to the arrest of Paiva da Silva, a 43-year-old law student and bus driver, on October 8 at a university in Rio.
Police sources suggest that there was a strained relationship between the father and daughter. Veloso and Paiva da Silva, who are said to be friends, were reportedly present at the house when the victim fell ill and was subsequently hospitalized.
A pesticide slightly less potent than lead was allegedly found at Veloso’s residence by detectives.
Both Veloso and Paiva da Silva are currently in police custody. Chief Inspector Halisson Ideiao Leite disclosed that Veloso has confessed to killing 10 dogs using the poisonous bean stew for testing purposes.
Leite stated, “She admits to killing 10 dogs with this poison, experimenting with the method and timing. She knew precisely the duration, dosage, and the effects on those who consumed what she offered.”
The investigation also led police in Sao Paulo to question Veloso’s twin sister, Roberta, who, according to Leite, actively participated in Neil’s death by providing support both morally and materially.
Furthermore, Neil’s death is now being linked to three other poisonings in Guarulhos, allegedly carried out by Veloso and Paiva da Silva. Leite asserted, “Ana Paula poisoned four individuals, including Neil, under Michelle’s directives.”
The crimes took place between January and April of the current year, with police noting a pattern of behavior that includes closeness, manipulation, and the use of poison as a silent weapon, as indicated by Leite.
Initially drawing police attention by claiming to have been the victim of an attempted cake poisoning, Veloso is believed to have orchestrated this event to frame someone else, according to investigators.
Leite mentioned, “Ana Paula Veloso came to our station alleging a poisoned cake incident at a college. She planted the supposed poisoned cake to incriminate a third party. Through our investigation, we established that Ana Paula was not a victim in this case but rather a serial killer.”
Detectives are now exploring the possibility of additional planned murders by the duo. Civil police officer Raphael Morais Velo, part of the investigative team, stated, “She did not kill impulsively but methodically.”
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