A Brazilian woman has been sentenced to more than 66 years in prison for murdering two children with a poisoned Easter egg sent as a revenge gift to their mother. Jordelia Pereira Barbosa, 35, was convicted on 22 June in Imperatriz, Maranhão state, for the deaths of Luiz Fernando Rocha Silva, 7, and his sister Evillyn Fernanda Rocha Silva, 13, in April 2025.
Poisoned chocolate delivered with a note
The children died after eating a chocolate Easter egg that had been laced with chumbinho, a rat poison illegally used in Brazil. The egg was delivered to the home of their mother, Mirian Lira Rocha, via a motorcycle taxi driver. A note attached read: "With love to Mirian Lira. Happy Easter!!!" Mirian also consumed some of the chocolate and spent days in intensive care before surviving.
Prosecutors stated that Barbosa, the ex-partner of the man Mirian was dating, orchestrated the attack out of jealousy and revenge. The court heard that Barbosa traveled over 400 kilometers from Santa Ines to Imperatriz, used a false name at a hotel, and hired a delivery rider to take the Easter egg to the family home.
Disguise and arrest
In chilling CCTV footage from a shop, Barbosa is seen wearing sunglasses and a black wig to hide her dyed blonde hair. She appears reluctant to pay with a smartphone and instead uses an anonymous payment card. When arrested in Santa Ines, police found two wigs, chocolate remains in thermal bags, and a bus ticket.
Barbosa initially denied poisoning the chocolate but later confessed in court, claiming she only intended to "scare" Mirian. The court rejected this explanation, citing the use of poison and deception as aggravating factors.
Sentence and compensation
The judge sentenced Barbosa to 66 years, eight months, and seven days for double murder and attempted murder. She was ordered to begin serving immediately, denied the right to appeal while free, and required to pay compensation: 100 minimum wages to Mirian and 400 minimum wages to the parents of the children. The murders were aggravated because the victims were under 14, and the attempted murder involved a base motive and poison.
