Thailand's notorious murderer acquitted in new case

A Thai criminal court in Bangkok on Tuesday acquitted Sararat Rangsiwuthaporn of murder, her sixth murder charge. She has previously been sentenced to death and life in prison.

Prosecutors were unable to prove that Sararat killed her close friend with cyanide, even though she had previously killed people with cyanide, the Bangkok Post reported.

Sararat, 39, was accused of poisoning the victim, Monthathip Khao-in, with cyanide on July 7, 2015, at a luxury apartment in Bangkok. According to the indictment, Sararat owed the victim money and wanted to get out of debt. Sararat has denied the charges.

The court noted that the women were close friends. They were in the same company, Sararat had borrowed money from Monthathip and then lost over 30 million baht (approximately €782,000) gambling online.

Monthathip lived in Canada and owned commercial property in Nakhon Pathom province, which he had entrusted to Sararat to manage. On the day of the alleged crime, Monthathip returned from Canada, Sararat and several of their friends met him at Suvarnabhumi Airport, the group ate rice before going to the apartment, and Monthathip later died in the apartment.

The court said that according to the autopsy report, Monthathip died of heart failure or possible pre-existing health problems. The examining doctor could not confirm that cyanide poisoning was the cause of death. The court found that the prosecution's evidence was uncertain and there was no witness or direct evidence that Sararat had given Monthathip cyanide.

Sararat was brought to court for the verdict from the Women's Central Prison. The court had previously ruled on five other murder cases against him. One verdict sentenced him to death, two to life imprisonment, and two acquittals.

Prosecutors have filed a total of 15 charges against Sararat – 14 for murder and one for attempted murder. Not all of the trials have yet been concluded. His involvement in a series of cyanide-related deaths has drawn widespread public attention in Thailand.

Sararat, who was nicknamed “Aem Cyanide” in the media after police found traces of cyanide in the victims’ bodies, was arrested on April 25, 2023. She was pregnant at the time of her arrest.