Jury Court sentences Cíntia Mariano to 49 years for poisoning stepchildren in Rio

Conselho of Sentença of the 3rd Tribunal of Júri of Rio of The decision took place in the early hours of Thursday (5), after a session that lasted almost 16 hours and began on Wednesday afternoon (4). The jurors recognized the authorship of the crimes of qualified homicide for the death of Fernanda Cabral, aged 22, and attempted murder against Bruno Carvalho Cabral, then aged 16. Judge Tula Mello read the sentence and highlighted the serious consequences of the act. The defense announced an appeal against the decision.

Cíntia Mariano Dias Cabral has remained in prison since 2022, when she was arrested during testimony at the police station. Ministério Público maintained that the crimes were committed with a futile motive, motivated by jealousy of the victims’ relationship with their father, Adeílson Jarbas Cabral, the defendant’s partner for around six years. Laudos experts confirmed that the victims suffered poisoning from carbamate, the active ingredient in the poison known as chumbinho, a substance used as a rodenticide. The complaint pointed out that the poison was placed in the food on separate occasions, in March and May 2022.

Bruno Cabral’s statement details poisoning episode

Bruno Carvalho Cabral, survivor of the crime, was the first to testify at the trial. Ele described lunch at his stepmother’s house after a school simulation, on a Saturday in May 2022. Bruno reported that Cíntia directly delivered the plate with beans, without the others helping themselves normally.

The young man noticed a strange taste and identified little blue dots in the beans. Ele separated some particles and questioned the stepmother, who reacted nervously and turned off the light in the room. Após the meal, Bruno went to her mother’s house and felt sick within minutes, with symptoms such as a rolled tongue, excessive sweating and difficulty walking and seeing. Ele immediately associated the episode with the death of her sister Fernanda, which occurred months earlier under similar circumstances.

Father’s story reveals family conflicts

Adeílson Jarbas Cabral, father of Fernanda and Bruno, confirmed in testimony the existence of frequent fights between Cíntia and his children. The discussions involved everyday issues, such as expenses, organization of the house and the father’s preferences for his daughter. Adeílson admitted to favoring Fernanda in terms of time, money and opportunities, which made his partner uncomfortable.

Bruno rarely visited his father’s house because of tensions with his stepmother. On the day of Bruno’s poisoning, Adeílson received a warning from his ex-wife about his son’s discomfort and began to connect the facts to the suspicion about Cíntia, who prepared the meal. The couple’s relationship ended after police investigations began.

Mother of victims describes suspicions and suspicious attempts

Jane Cabral, mother of Fernanda and Bruno, reported that she became suspicious of Durante after Fernanda was admitted, the defendant repeatedly offered food, which Jane refused. Após died, Cíntia sent a chocolate cake to her house, which was immediately discarded by Jane and Bruno.

Jane stated that interactions with Cíntia were limited to the period of her daughter’s hospitalization. The defendant insisted on feeding Jane, citing concern. The mother considered the offers suspicious and associated them with the context of poisoning. Inicialmente did not suspect a crime in the death of Fernanda, but Bruno’s discomfort in a similar situation reinforced the suspicion.

Biological children confirm mother’s confession

Lucas Mariano Rodrigues, son of Cíntia, testified as a witness for the prosecution and stated that his mother confessed to the crimes after the episode with Bruno. Ele picked up her mother from the hospital and took her to her grandmother’s house, where she questioned her directly about the facts. Cíntia admitted to having poisoned Bruno and, when pressed, confirmed the same against Fernanda. Lucas asked his mother to repeat the confession to his sister Carla.

Carla Mariano Rodrigues corroborated his brother’s report. Ela insisted on hearing directly from her mother and obtained admission of the acts at her grandmother’s house. Carla reported fear of her mother escaping before the police arrived, called by the family. The children described family life as acceptable on the surface, but marked by intense jealousy on the part of Cíntia towards his partner.

Complaint and expert evidence support the accusation

Ministério Público’s complaint detailed that, on March 15, 2022, Cíntia put poison in Fernanda’s meal, who became ill, was admitted and died 13 days later in Zona Oeste’s hospital. In May, the same method was used against Bruno, who survived after medical care. Exames confirmed carbamate poisoning in both cases.

Post-exhumation examinations on the body of Fernanda reinforced the chemical cause of death. The prosecution highlighted the materiality of the facts and the authorship proven by elements such as statements, reports and circumstances. The trial, initially scheduled for October 2025, was postponed after the defense abandoned the plenary session due to lack of access to telephone expertise. The session was rescheduled for March 2026.

Details of the trial and maintenance of prison

The session on the 3rd Tribunal of Júri lasted from 3pm on Wednesday until the early hours of Thursday, with the jurors deliberating in less than half an hour. The judge maintained the defendant’s arrest after reading the sentence. Testemunhas of the defense, as an IML doctor, questioned initial procedures in the sudden death of Fernanda, but the conviction prevailed based on the evidence presented.

The case gained repercussion due to the seriousness of the facts and the use of toxic substances in a family environment. The total penalty reflects the sum of the qualifiers recognized by the jurors in the two crimes.