Global Courant 2023-05-01 16:05:05
Police in Thailand have arrested a woman for the poisoned death of a friend and charged her with first-degree murder in the deaths of eight other people.
Following the arrest, authorities quickly linked the woman, Sararat Rangsiwuthaporn, to another six deaths, and the number grew to 14 after members of the public came forward claiming relatives had died shortly after meeting her.
She has been charged with nine of the deaths so far, but authorities said they believe she was responsible for all 14 deaths over several years, as well as one attempted poisoning.
Ms Sararat, 36, is the ex-wife of a senior police officer, authorities said. She was found with a bottle of cyanide when she was arrested last week, she added.
Her lawyer said Ms. Sararat denied all allegations.
Police said they believed Ms. Sararat killed the victims for financial reasons. She owed some of them money; others were found with missing jewelry or valuables on their bodies, authorities said. Many of the deceased had transferred large sums of money to Ms Sararat before their deaths, police said.
“It’s all about money. Money is the main cause,” Surachate Hakparn, Thailand’s deputy police chief, said at a news conference on Thursday, adding that Ms. Sararat had borrowed about $1,500 to $7,300 from some of the victims.
Police said they believed Ms. Sararat poisoned the people after befriending them, gaining their trust and inviting them for trips to temples or for meals or coffee.
Local media reported that Ms. Sararat had previously been diagnosed with psychiatric problems. But Mr. Surachate said she ‘wasn’t so sick that she did something unconsciously. She did everything consciously. I even planned them in advance.
“It’s like a serial killer doing it regularly, repeatedly,” he added.
In a separate press conference, he said police were investigating the possibility of more victims, urging “anyone whose relatives died without any cause and had a financial connection” to Ms Sararat to come forward.
The 14 murders Ms Sararat is accused of involved people between the ages of 33 and 45, according to police. The deaths date back to 2020 and occurred in a number of provinces, mainly in western Thailand.
The death leading to Ms Sararat’s arrest was that of Siriporn Khanwong, 32, on April 14. The two women had traveled together for a Buddhist ritual when Mrs. Siriporn collapsed on a river bank and died. An autopsy revealed she had died of heart failure, with traces of cyanide in her bloodstream.
Ms. Siriporn’s mother filed a police report after discovering that her daughter’s money and jewelry had disappeared. She suspected Mrs. Sararat’s involvement because she had recently befriended her daughter, who was wealthy.
Police are examining old files, performing autopsies and questioning witnesses to gather additional evidence. They have questioned Ms. Sararat’s former husband and are also investigating Ms. Sararat’s sister, who owns a pharmacy and whom the police suspect supplied Ms. Sararat with cyanide.
Ms. Sararat, who is four months pregnant, was denied bail and is being held at the Central Women’s Correctional Institute in Bangkok.
