Congresswoman and 6 of her 55 children accused of husband's murder

On June 16, 2019, Anderson do Carmo was fatally shot in his home in Niteroi, Brazil. Celebrity gospel singer turned politician Flordelis dos Santos de Souza told the police that her husband had been shot during a botched robbery attempt. However, on Monday, August 24, the wife and 10 others have been charged by prosecutors for the murder. Authorities claim that the congresswoman orchestrated the premeditated killing with the help of a few of her children and even her grandchild.

After the death of the 42-year-old pastor, a massive investigation was launched due to the celebrity status of his wife. The family claimed that armed robbers broke into the couple's home and shot the man while fleeing. The investigation into the incident became controversial as the investigators claimed that the famous 59-year-old lawmaker had masterminded the murder.

Investigators claimed that de Souza's biological son, Flavio dos Santos Rodrigues, shot do Carmo. The murder weapon was a gun owned by the couple's adopted son, Lucas Cesar dos Santos. They claimed that a few of the couple's 55 children, some of whom are biological and some adopted, pretended to be robbers during the fatal attack on the patriarch.

According to the investigators, the couple had been having conflicts over do Carmo's handling of finances and de Souza's preferential treatment of some of their children. It is also claimed that the woman had tried to poison her husband six times before she managed to orchestrate the final attack that took his life.

The prosecutors have announced the charges against those involved in the murder. They have charged the politician, six of her children and one of her granddaughters, the Times reported. Nine of the accused have been arrested after they were charged for their roles in the murder. However, the alleged mastermind has evaded arrest.

According to BBC, since de Souza is an elected lawmaker, she has parliamentary immunity. This prevents her arrest even though she has been charged. The detectives investigating the case have written to the Congress requesting that the accused be stripped of her immunity. Denying the charges against her, the famed gospel singer continues to plead her innocence.