In a bizarre case from Brazil, a 27-year-old woman named Fernanda Valoz Pinto died after consuming chocolate given by a palm reader who had predicted that she would die soon. The mysterious death of Pinto took place in August, this year.
The shocking incident happened in Maceió, which is known for its abundance of fortune tellers and palm readers. When Pinto was walking through the city centre, she was stopped by an old woman who asked to read her palm.
Pinto Started Vomitting After Eating the Chocolate, Texted Family 'My Heart is Racing'
The old palm reader predicted that Pinto only had a few days to live. The woman gave Pinto a chocolate as a gift. Pinto's cousin, Bianca Cristina, said Pinto was hungry and the chocolate was packaged like any other so it didn't occur to her that it could be dangerous.
As soon as she consumed the chocolate, Pinto started vomiting and her vision became blurred. "Her body was soft... it was a matter of hours," Cristina told local news outlet Globo1.
"My heart is racing. I've thrown up. But I have this taste in my mouth. So bitter. Bad. My vision is blurry. I'm so weak," explained Pinto. "I leant on the water tank. I almost fell. I almost met God. I don't know why I'm like this, sis. I've been feeling bad all day," continued Pinto.
Pinto's preexisting conditions led her family to initially dismiss her symptoms, but her mention of the encounter with the palm reader raised suspicions. Accompanied by her cousin, Pinto was taken to the hospital, where her nose began to bleed upon arrival. Despite the doctors' efforts, she passed away the following day.
Autopsy Reports Revealed Chocolate was Laced with Pesticide
It took two months for the cause of her death to be confirmed after toxicology reports generated from biosamples from her autopsy revealed high concentrations of pesticides Sulfotep and Terbufos in her body.
Investigations are underway to ascertain if the chocolate was the source of Pinto's poisoning. Law Enforcement authorities are also trying to determine if the fortune teller was hired to kill Pinto.
"I don't see anyone having a reason to do this to her, but we don't know what's in anyone's heart. Whether it was someone who ordered her to be killed or if the woman did it because she wanted to, only the police will find out," said Pinto's other cousin Lumenita Valoz.
