The Rio de Janeiro Civil Police are investigating the death of Neil Corrêa da Silva, 65, which occurred in April 2025 in Duque de Caxias, Baixada Fluminense, as a homicide by poisoning. The elderly man fell ill hours after eating feijoada prepared at the family home and died at Adão Pereira Nunes Hospital. His daughter, Michele Paiva da Silva, 43, hired Ana Paula Veloso Fernandes, 36, to carry out the crime, according to joint investigations with the São Paulo Civil Police.
Michele, a law student and bus driver, paid R$ 4,000 for the act, discounting a previous loan, resulting in R$ 1,400 effectively. The two met at a college in Rio’s North Zone. Ana Paula, detained preventively in Guarulhos since July, is identified as a serial killer for three other similar homicides in the São Paulo metropolitan area.
Neil’s body was exhumed on Thursday (9) at Memorial do Rio Cemetery in Cordovil and sent to the Legal Medical Institute in downtown Rio. The autopsy seeks traces of terbufos, an agrochemical found at Ana Paula’s home, similar to rat poison.
Family tensions drive crime planning
Authorities identify ongoing disputes between Neil and Michele as the main motive. The strained relationship involved conflicts over assets and financial support.
Police records show Michele funded Ana Paula’s trip from Guarulhos to Rio for April 26. They were present at the victim’s home when he consumed the feijoada, blended due to his chewing difficulties.
Phone data breaches revealed coded messages between the suspects discussing dosage and execution. Ana Paula and her twin sister, Roberta Cristina Veloso, also arrested, exchanged details about payment and method.
Meticulous poison preparation in Guarulhos
Ana Paula confessed to calculating the exact dosage through prior tests. She used terbufos to kill ten dogs, assessing the substance’s timing and effects.
Her Guarulhos residence contained vials of the agrochemical and notes on animal reactions. These experiments took place weeks before the Rio trip.
São Paulo authorities link the material to other investigated crimes. Ana Paula demonstrated technical knowledge in handling agricultural poisons.
Delegate Halisson Leite from Guarulhos’ 1st Police District highlighted the precision in calculations to avoid immediate detection.
Connections to prior homicides in São Paulo
- Marcelo Hari Fonseca, killed in January 2025 in Guarulhos, poisoned in food over a property dispute.
- Maria Aparecida, a victim in March, with poison introduced in a meal to frame an ex-partner.
- Third case in São Paulo, with similar poisoning in an academic setting.
- Fourth death, tied to an attempted poisoning at a college, where Ana Paula posed as a victim.
These cases show a pattern of manipulation. Ana Paula frequented police stations to file false threats, diverting investigations.
The São Paulo Public Prosecutor’s Office charged the crimes due to instrumental connection. The trial is in Guarulhos due to geographic proximity.
Police procedures after arrests
Michele was detained on Tuesday (7) at the entrance of a college in Engenho Novo, Rio’s North Zone, based on a Guarulhos warrant. She initially denied involvement, but digital evidence contradicts her.
Ana Paula, detained since July, had her arrest converted to preventive. Roberta received a temporary warrant in August for moral and material assistance, staying in Guarulhos during the crime.
The Baixada Fluminense Homicide Division reopened the case after an anonymous tip. Witnesses reported the elderly man’s seizures shortly after the meal.
Agents searched Neil’s home, finding a pan with feijoada residues. Preliminary lab results link patterns to São Paulo cases.
Exhumation and ongoing toxicological analyses
The absence of an initial autopsy on Neil justifies the urgent exhumation. Experts seek terbufos traces in preserved bone and organic tissue.
Initial results are expected in weeks, focusing on the poison’s metabolites. This could confirm respiratory failure as a direct poisoning consequence.
The initial report noted diabetic ketoacidosis and cardiac arrest, masking the true cause.
Investigators expect the autopsy to strengthen qualified homicide charges.
Cover-up strategies used by suspects
Ana Paula tried to frame others in prior investigations. In one case, she planted a poisoned cake at a college to accuse an ex-lover.
She sent self-threatening messages to simulate victimization. Authorities classify this as recurring manipulative behavior.
Roberta assisted with logistics, including remote guidance during the crime. Intercepted conversations used codes to discuss risks.
These tactics delayed São Paulo investigations for months.
Joint progress between Rio and São Paulo police
Guarulhos and Baixada Fluminense delegates exchanged data since July, identifying links between the four homicides.
Judge Rodrigo Tellini de Aguirre Camargo ordered case unification in Guarulhos due to evidentiary connection and severity.
Preventive detentions ensure uninterrupted progress. Initial hearings are scheduled for November 2025.
Phone data exchange accelerated arrests in Rio.
