Jakarta, Indonesia Sentinel — Sararat Rangsiwuthaporn, a thailand woman, has been sentenced to death for a cyanide poisoning that killed her friend, in what officials believe is part of a chilling series of murders. Authorities have described her as one of Thailand’s worst serial killers, accusing her of killing 14 people over nearly a decade.
According to The Guardian, Bangkok court On Wednesday, November 20, 2024, found Sararat guilty of murdering her friend, Siriporn Khanwong, in April last year.
The two had gathered near Bangkok to participate in a Buddhist ritual, releasing fish into the Mae Klong River. Shortly after the ceremony, Siriporn collapsed and died. Investigators discovered traces of cyanide in Siriporn’s body and noted that her phone, money, and bag were missing.
Police were then able to link Sararat to a string of unsolved cyanide poisonings dating back to 2015.
Pattern of Cyanide Murders
Sararat, reportedly was an online gambling addict. She is accused of swindling thousands of dollars from her victims before poisoning them with cyanide. Authorities say she allegedly killing 14 individuals with poison.
According to police, Sararat financed her gambling habit by borrowing money from her victims, amounts reaching up to 300,000 baht (nearly $9,000) in one instance—before then killing them and stealing their valuables and mobile phones.
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“She borrowed money from acquaintances because she was deeply in debt due to credit card bills,” said Deputy National Police Chief Surachate Hakparn. “When they demanded repayment, she began killing them.”
Sararat allegedly lured her victims by offering them “herbal capsules” laced with cyanide. Of the 15 individuals she targeted, one survived.
Ongoing Legal Proceedings
Sararat is facing an additional 13 murder trials and has been charged with a total of 80 offenses. Her ex-husband, a former police officer, sentences of one year and four months prison, and her lawyer received for two years, for hiding evidence to help Sararat evade justice.
Sararat Rangsiwuthaporn’s case of cyanide murders has gripped Thailand, shedding light on how a gambling addiction allegedly led to a series of calculated and chilling murders. Sararat’s next trials are expected to further unravel the extent of her alleged crimes.
(Raidi/Agung)
