The public and police were stunned by the brutality of the crime when renowned pastor Anderson do Carmo was murdered in his Rio de Janeiro home in 2019. Soon after, the investigation revealed a sinister plot hidden under his own roof for several years. HBO's 'Flordelis: A Family Crime' investigates the tragic events that led to Anderson's tragic death.
What Happened to Anderson to Carmo?
Anderson do Carmo was born on March 27, 1977, and he seemed to have had a rocky childhood in Brazil. Flordelis was a pastor and gospel singer who had recently separated from her husband and lived with her three biological and five adopted children. They got married in 1998 when he was 21.
Flordelis adopted 37 street children in 1994 and began pursuing a better life for them. Even before her marriage to Anderson, they adopted many more children; by 2019, they had 55 children living with them, out of which 51 were adopted. In 1999, the couple founded an evangelical church called Flordelis Evangelical Ministry, where his wife became a pastor for tens of thousands of followers. She even became a politician in 2003.
Anderson was well-known and loved for his kind-hearted and generous nature, making his sudden death even more shocking. Flordelis went inside, but Anderson remained hidden in the garage for a few minutes to reply to an email on his phone. Just a moment later, one of their daughters heard loud gunshots.
Flordelis ran outside and saw a horrific scene: her husband was shot and died on the ground. Their sons immediately rushed their father to the hospital, with their mother following behind. Unfortunately, Anderson was declared dead on arrival, having suffered from multiple gunshot wounds.
Anderson do Carmo was killed by who?
Flordelis made a strange public statement when the police began looking for potential suspects in the death of Anderson. According to that, two suspicious-looking people on a motorcyle appeared twice alongside their vehicle on June 16, 2019. Afterwards, two of her adopted sons, Misael and Daniel, approached the cops and claimed that some relatives were quite likely to be behind the crime.
Flordelis' 38-year-old biological son, Flávio dos Santos Rodrigues, and one of her adopted sons, Lucas Cézar dos Santos Souza (18) were surprised to find out about the crime within 24 hours. Flávio confessed himself to killing his stepfather six times, while Lucas confessed himself to purchasing the pistol used to shoot the victim.
Investigators interrogated several of the victim's family members, including family members, church members, and former adoptees. A disturbing fact quickly emerged, which splinters the politician's happy marriage to Anderson. According to the two arrested sons, Flordelis was unsatisfied with her husband's dominant control over the family's finances, and she desired to take control of herself.
Flordelis reportedly wanted Anderson out of the way. In 2018, she tried poisoning his food with arsenic, and there were at least five more alleged attempts on her and her children's lives over the next year. Anderson financed the purchase of a rifle and convinced several of her children to kill their father on June 16, 2019.
In August 2020, the cops raided Flordelis' house and arrested ten people, including six of her children and one of her biological granddaughters, Rayane dos Santos. All of the accused were accused in conspiring and executing Anderson's death.
Even Flordelis was charged, yet she could not be detained, as she had parliamentary immunity following her election as a federal deputy in 2018. However, her council members voted and revoked her mandate as a deputy in August 2021, resulting in her losing her term of office for breaching parliamentary decorum.
Flávio was sentenced to 33 years, two months, and twenty days in prison for triple-qualified murder, unlawful possession of a firearm for restricted use, and criminal association, as well as the use of a fake document.
Flordelis' trial began in court in November 2022, where she alleged that her late husband had abused her and her children repeatedly due to a lack of evidence. In the same month, the jury found her guilty of triple-qualified murder, attempted double-qualified murder, and armed criminal association. She was sentenced to 50 years in prison.
Simone, Flordelis' biological daughter, was found guilty of triple-degree murder, attempted double-degree murder, and armed criminal association, and was sentenced to 31 years and four months in jail. A second adopted son, Carlos Ubiraci, was also found guilty of armed criminal association.
