A woman in São Paulo, Brazil, is accused of keeping her landlord’s decomposing body inside her home for five days, according to reports.
Ana Paula Veloso Fernandes, 36, a mother and law student, is suspected of killing at least four people over a five-month period, CNN Brasil reported.
Police describe Veloso Fernandes as “extremely manipulative,” claiming she “takes pleasure in killing” and shows “a lack of remorse.” Police Chief Halisson Ideiao warned that she “wants to kill” and would likely attempt further murders if released.
One of the alleged victims is her landlord, Marcelo Hari Fonseca, whom she reportedly stabbed during an argument in January. The case was initially closed due to insufficient evidence but was reopened after the landlord’s daughter approached police again while authorities were investigating Veloso Fernandes in connection with other deaths.
According to police, Veloso Fernandes confessed to covering the entrance to the room with a sheet to shield her son and niece from the body. She reportedly called authorities only five days later after her son complained about the smell, by which time maggots had begun to infest the home.
Veloso Fernandes said she burned the couch where the stabbing took place to “remove odors” and “clean the room.” Authorities have reportedly linked her to at least three additional deaths between January and May, primarily involving rat poison.
Investigators say Veloso Fernandes allegedly killed Maria Aparecida Rodrigues, Hayder Mhazres, and Neil Correa da Silva, citing motives of financial gain and revenge. She is accused of first testing the poison on dogs, killing at least ten, and remains in custody while testing continues on exhumed bodies.