The Poisoned Chocolate and the Fortune Teller of Maceió

Fernanda Silva Valoz da Cruz Pinto was walking through the city center of Maceió, Brazil, when an elderly woman stopped her on the street and offered to tell her fortune. What followed was a series of events so precise in their outcome that investigators now suspect the encounter may not have been random at all.

The woman told Fernanda she had only a few days to live. Then she handed her a wrapped chocolate and walked away.

Fernanda was hungry. The packaging looked normal. According to her cousin Bianca Cristina, who later spoke to Globo News, "it didn't occur to her that it could pose any danger." So she ate it.

What Happened That Night

Within hours, Fernanda began sending text messages to her family. Her heart was racing. There was a terrible taste in her mouth. Her vision was going blurry. At some point, she told them she felt like she was "about to meet God."

She was admitted to Santa Casa de Misericórdia Hospital on August 3rd, presenting with severe stomach pains, vomiting, nosebleeds, and excessive salivation. She died in the early hours of the following morning. She was 27 years old.

She left behind a 9-year-old daughter with special needs.

What the Toxicology Report Found

Laboratory analysis of Fernanda's autopsy samples found extremely high concentrations of two pesticides: sulfotep and terbufos. Both are agricultural chemicals that, according to Thalmanny Goulart, the head of the chemistry and toxicology laboratory that processed the samples, are "highly prevalent in cases of poisoning and intoxication in Brazil due to their easy access, despite being regulated by the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply."

The post-mortem did not formally confirm the chocolate as the direct cause of death, and authorities have said they are continuing to gather information to determine exactly what happened. What is confirmed is the presence of two acutely toxic compounds in her system at lethal concentrations.

An Investigation That Started Too Late

The Homicide and Personal Protection Police Station, known as the DHPP, did not open its investigation until nearly two months after Fernanda's death. The delay created an immediate problem. "The unusual story in itself brings some difficulty to the investigation," said DHPP investigator Lucimério Campos. "The time interval of almost two months also presents a challenge, as the homicide investigation begins at the scene of the crime, and we were not there."

Maceió is a city where fortune tellers and palm readers operate openly throughout its streets and public spaces, which makes identifying the specific woman who approached Fernanda significantly harder. Police have not been able to name her. No arrests have been made.

Some investigators have speculated that the fortune teller may have been hired to carry out the poisoning, though no motive has been established and no suspect has been formally identified.

What Her Family Knows

Fernanda's cousin Lumenita Valoz described her as someone completely removed from any kind of conflict. "I just know that Fernanda wasn't a person involved in parties, chaos, anything like that," she said. "I don't see anyone having a reason to do this to her, but we don't know anyone's heart."

The woman who stopped Fernanda on the street, handed her a chocolate, and told her she was going to die has not been found.