Bangkok police revealed on Wednesday that an American-Vietnamese woman is believed to be responsible for the deaths of five individuals at an upscale hotel in Bangkok, where cyanide-laced tea was reportedly used.
The tragic incident unfolded at the Grand Hyatt Erawan hotel, where the bodies of six individuals, including the suspected perpetrator, were discovered late Tuesday.
The victims, identified as four Vietnamese nationals and one American-Vietnamese woman named Chong Sherine, 56, were found in a hotel room where traces of cyanide were detected on drinking glasses and a teapot, according to authorities. Police suspect that Sherine, embroiled in a legal dispute over investments gone awry, orchestrated the killings after a failed business venture involving construction projects.
Investigations revealed that Sherine had persuaded the victims, including a husband and wife who invested in a hospital project in Japan, to join her at the hotel for negotiations ahead of an upcoming court appearance. Security footage showed Sherine receiving a room service delivery shortly before the victims arrived. She declined hotel staff assistance making tea, opting to prepare it herself.
The bodies, discovered by hotel staff after the group failed to check out on time, showed signs of distress, with two victims collapsing near the locked room’s exit. Initial autopsies conducted at Chulalongkorn Hospital pointed to cyanide poisoning as the cause of death, pending further test results due later in the week.
Authorities are investigating how Sherine obtained the cyanide and are coordinating with the Vietnamese and US Embassies, as well as the FBI, for assistance in the investigation. The US State Department expressed condolences to the victims’ families and affirmed ongoing cooperation with local authorities.
The case continues to develop as authorities seek further evidence and await toxicology results to confirm the cause of death definitively.
