The deaths of Everaldo Gregório de Souza and Thomas Stephen Lydon were initially treated as natural, but tests revealed that the couple had been poisoned. The Civil Police of Minas Gerais detained the sister of one of the victims and a close friend, both suspected of having planned the crime.
The Civil Police of Minas Gerais, in Brazil, is investigating the deaths of Everaldo Gregório de Souza, 60, and Thomas Stephen Lydon, 65, who lived together for more than three decades. The couple was found dead in June this year, in Governador Valadares, in Vale do Rio Doce.
The deaths occurred just a few days apart, Thomas died on June 20th and Everaldo on the 26th. At the time, none of the bodies were autopsied and the deaths were considered natural: Thomas would have died from skin cancer and Everaldo from an alleged alcoholic coma.
However, the family members of Everaldo began to suspect the real reason for the deaths, finding it strange how quickly Thomas was buried and the fact that Everaldo was admitted without any information being given to them. Given the suspicions, the police asked for the exhumation of the bodiesand exams confirmed that the couple was poisoned with phenobarbital, a controlled medication.
The reason may have been financial
According to the investigations led to the arrest of two people close to the victims: Everaldo’s sister, aged 52, and a friend of the couple, aged 35. Authorities believe that both planned the crime and took advantage of the relationship of trust they had with the couple to administer the poison to them.
The police point out that the The motivation for the crime may have been financial, since, after the deaths, the suspects will have moved more than 1.3 million reais (around 230 thousand euros) in assets and money from the victims.
Furthermore, the authorities They also discovered a life insurance policy in which Everaldo’s sister appeared as beneficiary and a power of attorney that gave the other suspect powers over the couple’s assets.
The two suspects are in preventive detention and must answer for qualified homicide, forgery and use of false documents.
In addition to them, it is also being investigateda lawyer linked to the case, for suspected of having helped create false versions to cover up financial transactions.
