A 34-year-old woman dubbed the ‘Black Widow’ who killed her boyfriends with rat poison has been sentenced to 21 years in prison.

The sentencing came after a jury found Wane Brenda Oliveira guilty of aggravated homicide in the Courthouse of Itabuna in the north-eastern Brazilian state of Bahia on Tuesday, 31st August.

The crimes, in which the defendant allegedly administered her boyfriends ‘chumbinho’ – an illegal rat poison made with the carbamate insecticide Aldicarb, took place eight months apart in 2017.

High amounts of Aldicarb can kill humans by paralysing the respiratory system. Despite being banned in several countries, such as Germany and Switzerland, the product is possible to purchase in three Brazilian states, including Bahia.

The defendant allegedly killed her boyfriends, who were living with her at the time, when she found out they were planning to break up with her.

The first murder, of 40-year-old Edvaldo Araujo Alves, took place on 16th April 2017. He had been living with the defendant for a year.

In both cases, the defendant took her victims to a healthcare unit after the poison took effect. However, in both cases, they died.

Edvaldo’s death at the time was attributed to a massive heart attack. He was buried, but his body was exhumed a year later after the poisoning was suspected, with coroners confirming the suspicion.

The defendant’s version of events had never satisfied Edvaldo’s family members, who had said he was unhappy with the relationship.

Months after Edvaldo’s death, the defendant was in a new relationship with Evandro Bonfim de Souza, also aged 40, whom she allegedly also later poisoned to death.

The defendant was sentenced to 21 years in prison for the first murder, and a date has not yet been set for the trial for the second murder.

The defendant has been in preventive custody for four years. During the trial, her legal defence denied the charges against her and has appealed the court’s decision.