Second death sentence for serial killer ‘Aem Cyanide’

In seventh of 15 cases to be decided, court finds cyanide poisoning of creditor was deliberately planned Sararat “Aem Cyanide” Rangsiwuthaporn is taken into police custody in April 2023. (File photo) The Criminal Court on Tuesday handed down a death sentence against Sararat Rangsiwuthaporn, better known as “Aem Cyanide”, for fatally poisoning a creditor in Nakhon Pathom province in December 2020.Prosecutors had told the court that Sararat, 39, mixed potassium cyanide into food and served it to Darinee Thepthawee, 34. An autopsy by toxicology and forensic doctors at Siriraj Hospital confirmed that the poison led to the failure of the victim’s internal organs including the heart, lungs and liver, resulting in death. The victim’s elder sister told the court that Sararat had texted Darinee on Dec 12, 2020, saying she planned to eat Hainanese chicken rice at Samphran market the following day and inviting her along. The court found that Sararat had been with the victim close to the time when the potassium cyanide had taken effect on Dec 13, 2020. After Darinee parted with Sararat, she returned home. She told her husband she felt sick and subsequently had a seizure with saliva flowing out of her mouth before passing out. According to media reports, Sararat had known Darinee since 2014 and had frequently visited the latter’s home. She had borrowed 60,000 baht from Darinee and also invited her to join three chit funds. The court heard that Sararat was unable to repay Darinee as she had too many other debts to other creditors. The court ruled that Sararat planned the murder to clear her debt. The killing spree carried out by Sararat shocked the nation and led to intensified scrutiny of toxic chemical controls. Police found 15 people had been poisoned in seven provinces between 2015 and 2023. Only one survived. Investigators said money motivated the poisonings, as all the killings were for the purpose of clearing debts. The victims had been with Sararat just hours before they died. The case first came to light after the death of Siriporn Khanwong in Ratchaburi on April 14, 2023. Sararat and Siriporn had been friends. Siriporn collapsed and died beside the Mae Klong River, where the two women had gone to release fish for merit-making. Cyanide was found in the victim’s body. Sararat did not come to her rescue when Siriporn collapsed. Instead, she drove away with the victim’s belongings and cash. Sararat, the wife of a high-level police officer, was four months pregnant when she was arrested on April 25, 2023. She later miscarried while in custody. The court previously delivered judgement in six other murder cases against her, imposing one death sentence and two life imprisonment sentences and acquitting her in three cases. The most recent acquittal was announced on Aug 4. Prosecutors have filed a total of 15 cases against Sararat — 14 for murder and one for attempted murder.