A Brazilian ex-con and pastor has been sentenced to 50 years in prison for plotting to kill her husband

A court in the Brazilian city of Niterói has sentenced former federal deputy and evangelical leader Flordelis Dos Santos Souza to 50 years and 28 days in prison for ordering the murder of her husband, gospel singer and pastor Anderson do Garmo, local media reported.

He was also found guilty of attempted murder, forgery and armed criminal association.

Flordelis dos Santos de Souza is a former member of the Brazilian delegation representing Rio de Janeiro. Her husband, who was 42 at the time of his death, was shot multiple times in June 2019 while returning to his home, which he shared with his more than 50 children, including biological and adopted children.

In 1994, then-teacher Flortellis adopted 37 homeless children who survived the Candelaria massacre, perpetrated by paramilitary forces against a group of minors believed to be involved in criminal activities the previous year.

One of the adopted minors was Anderson do Carmo, who later became his adoptive mother’s lover. Together they founded the Comunidade Evangélica Ministério Flordelis church, which later became a “bullet of controversy” according to prosecutors.

The investigation into Anderson’s murder concluded that the former deputy financed the purchase of the weapons used in the crime and warned the victim of his arrival at the scene of the shooting. She tried to kill her husband at least six times by poisoning his food and drink.

6 people have already been convicted in this case. These are the two biological children of Flordelís, Simone and Flavio dos Santos Rodríguez, who were sentenced to more than 30 years in prison, their stepson Lucas Cesar dos Santos Sosa (7 years in prison), as well as other relatives of the victim.

“When the money started coming in, the disagreements came.”

During the trial, Flordelise said she suffered insults, beatings and sexual abuse from her husband, but denied all the accusations against him, O Globo gathers. In general, the former MP’s defense said the murdered man was a sexual predator who abused not only his wife but several of his daughters and granddaughters.

“I only experienced it when I was hurt,” said the woman, who tearfully testified that despite the mistreatment, she “died with her husband.” “I don’t have to pay for anyone’s mistakes. I’ve been paying for something I didn’t do for three years. They call me the mastermind behind killing the man I loved the most in this life.”

However, investigators argued that the crime was not motivated by these abuses, but by a struggle for power and money in the evangelical church the couple founded.

“When the money started coming in, there were disagreements. […]A desire to share more and less,” said one lawyer.

In a statement, the ex-partner’s defense confirmed that the sentence was pronounced “despite a lack of evidence”. “I understand that the sentence was wrong, which is certainly due to the pressure of public opinion created from the crime. Considering the many complete reversals that occurred during the trial, I state that I will appeal against the sentence and look forward to a fair trial in the future,” the text indicated.

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