Story By: William McGee, Sub-Editor:  James King, Agency: Newsflash

One of the parents in a same-sex couple suspected of killing their three adopted children after he was dumped by his husband is facing three murder charges.

A police investigation has concluded that Ricardo Reis de Faria Vieira was responsible for the deaths of his three adopted children in the house fire in the Brazilian municipality of Poa last month.

Ricardo, 33, is currently in preventive detention and has now been indicted on three counts of homicide for the deaths of Fernanda Veronica, 14, Gabriel, 9, and Lorenzo Reis de Faria e Vieira, 2, on 17th February.

The three youngsters were adopted by Ricardo and his same-sex partner of 15 years, Leandro Jose Reis de Faria, between 2014 and 2019.

The couple had separated three months before the youngsters’ deaths and the trio would spend a week at the home of one parent, followed by a week at the home of the other.

Leandro lived in the nearby municipality of Mogi das Cruzes and was not in Poa when the fire that claimed his adopted children’s lives took place.

Ricardo was arrested on the day of the crime after providing contradictory statements to the police.

The police were also suspicious as to why the room in which the youngsters burnt to death was locked and why there was apparently no key.

They were also suspicious as to why Lorenzo, who usually slept in his dad’s room, was with his siblings at the time.

Officers who broke down the door to the room in which the youngsters were trapped, only to find their charred bodies, also noted no signs of Ricardo having attempted to break down the door himself.

They were also suspicious that Ricardo said he was awoken by the smell of smoke and not by the children’s screams, despite a neighbour telling officers she heard one of the youngsters cry: “Dad, don’t let me die here.”

Investigators believe the crime was motivated by the couple’s separation.

Ricardo remains in preventive detention and awaits trial.

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