Death Sentence For Cyanide Poisoner In Loan Dispute Murder

The Criminal Court sentenced 39-year-old Am Cyanide to death on September 22, 2024, for premeditated murder intended to benefit from or conceal other crimes, and for adulterating food, medicine, or consumer goods that caused another person's death. The case involved the death of Chantarat (known as Joom) on August 15, 2022. Chantarat met with the defendant at a petrol station near her home in Phetchaburi province after the defendant contacted her about repaying their joint investment in a loan scheme. The defendant had borrowed 70,000 baht in capital and an additional 26,800 baht from Chantarat's personal funds. When Chantarat returned home, her husband found her unconscious. She was rushed to Cha-am Hospital but died shortly after. Medical examination revealed unusually high liver acid levels from inflammation, but the cause was unknown. A forensic pathology expert testified that Chantarat's symptoms—oxygen deprivation affecting the heart and brain—were consistent with cyanide poisoning. Police evidence showed the defendant purchased cyanide on August 9, and phone records and audio recordings revealed the defendant arranged to meet Chantarat on August 15, claiming she would repay the borrowed funds with interest and provide Covid treatment medicine. The defendant deliberately chose a petrol station to avoid witnesses. Chantarat's supervisor testified she had been in good health, requiring no hospitalization for her previous Covid infection, only a persistent cough. Although no direct witness observed the poisoning or how the cyanide was administered, the court found the prosecution's evidence credible and the defendant's defense weak. The defendant's pattern of behavior in previous cases showed a similar modus operandi. The court convicted the defendant under multiple charges and ordered compensation of 60,000 baht plus interest to be paid to the deceased's husband.