A Bangkok court convicted Sararat Rangsiwuthaporn, infamously nicknamed “Mrs. Cyanide”, to death after being found guilty of murdering 14 friends with cyanide for alleged economic reasons. The 36-year-old woman was found to have a serious gambling addiction and owed her victims significant sums of money.
The case that led to his conviction involved the murder of his friend, Siriporn Khanwong, in April 2023. The two had met to release fish into the Mae Klong River as part of a Buddhist ritual. Prosecutors revealed that Khanwong collapsed and died after eating during the excursion. Traces of cyanide were later discovered in his body, prompting an investigation, he said. The sun.
Police turned their attention to Rangsiwuthaporn following complaints from Khanwong’s mother and sister. Investigators discovered that Rangsiwuthaporn frequently borrowed money from his friends, only to kill them when they demanded repayment.
the guardian reported: “He asked people he knows for money because he has a lot of credit card debt, and if they asked him to pay them back, he started killing them,” said National Police Deputy Chief Surachate Hakparn. Hakparn added: “He had poisoned the 15 victims with cyanide which was placed in drinking water, food or medicine in the form of capsules. “Financial problems were the reason for carrying out the cyanide murders.”
The shocking case of Khanwong’s death led other families of Rangsiwuthaporn victims to come forward with similar accounts. In total, he faces 13 additional murder trials and approximately 80 charges. Three accomplices were also involved in the plan. Her ex-husband, ex Police Lieutenant Colonel Vitoon RangsiwuthapornShe was sentenced to 16 months in prison and her former lawyer received a two-year sentence for her role in Siriporn’s murder.
Authorities believe Vitoon also assisted in the murder of Rangsiwuthaporn’s ex-boyfriend, Suthisak Poonkwan. Following the verdict, Khanwong’s mother, Tongpin Kiatchanasiri, expressed her relief. “The court’s decision is fair” he told reporters. “I want to tell my daughter that I miss her deeply and that justice has been done for her today.”
The case has drawn comparisons to another chilling crime in North Carolina, where a man, Joshua Lee Hunsucker, is accused of poisoning his wife and daughter with eye drops, along with other allegations of abuse and witness intimidation.
Rangsiwuthaporn’s sentencing marks a grim milestone in Thailand’s legal system, bringing closure to families devastated by his crimes while highlighting the devastating consequences of financial desperation.