Bruna Garcia is accused of poisoning 90-year-old cardiologist Dr Victor Murad with arsenic for over a year while emptying his bank accounts and spending the money on luxury getaways
A ‘trusted’ secretary has been accused of poisoning a renowned doctor with arsenic in a bid to steal tens of thousands of pounds without getting caught.
Bruna Garcia faces charges of attempted aggravated homicide after 90-year-old Dr Victor Murad accused his secretary of poisoning him for months with arsenic in an attempt to hide the embezzlement of more than half a million Brazilian reais (£70,000).
Prosecutors in the state of Espirito Santo said forensic analysis of Victor Murad’s hair samples confirmed prolonged exposure to the poison – which can cause various types of cancer, organ failure and death – over a period of at least one year and three months.
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Garcia, who had worked at Murad’s clinic since 2013 and is the daughter of one of his former colleagues, is said to have had complete control over the doctor’s finances – and is accused of using this power to siphon off money Dr Garcia’s money as he grew increasingly sick.
Prosecutors allege the embezzled cash was used to fund her increasingly lavish lifestyle, which included luxury trips to the resort town of Paraty, boat trips, and stays in mountain hotels.
As the size of the alleged fraud spiralled, Garcia is accused of conspiring to murder the doctor, preventing her emptying of bank accounts from ever being discovered. Dr Murad had meanwhile begun to show severe symptoms – including vomiting blood, anaemia, and constant trembling – that left his family puzzled, and caused him to be admitted to A&E several times.
The secretary’s alleged scheme began to unravel last year when Dr Murad and his wife attempted a transaction and discovered that their balance was too low – only to be told by his bank manager that he was “spending too much.”
A row between the doctor and his secretary then saw Garcia quit her job – and once she had left, another hospital employee found a bottle of arsenic in a storage room.
Upon her arrest, police discovered that the poison was bought in the name of Garcia’s husband, but officers later concluded he was entirely unaware his wife had used his details to make the purchase.
Dr Murad, who is currently at home recovering, told TV Gazeta: “What she did to me was cruel. Absolutely cruel. She betrayed me terribly.
“I trusted her blindly, that was my mistake. She charms everyone. She’s a snake.”
“I always treated her like she was my own daughter, and she was trying to kill me… she kills you with a smile”.
The ex-secretary’s defence lawyer, James Gouveia, denies all the allegations, and argued in one legal filing: “Having a report stating that he was poisoned doesn’t prove that Bruna poisoned him. It could have been someone else, it could have been accidental.”
Garcia has been in custody since October and is expected to stand trial by jury for attempted aggravated murder.
