The Criminal Court delivered its verdict in the fourth case. “Am Cyanide” poisoning “Captain Nui” Sentenced to death, but due to her useful testimony, the punishment was reduced to “life imprisonment.”
In courtroom 913 of the Criminal Court at 09:00 on 30 Apr 2025 GMT+7, the court heard case number black 526/2568, in which the prosecutor of Criminal Case Division 9 filed charges against Ms. Sararat Rangsivutaporn, known as Am Cyanide, age 39, accused of premeditated murder. This is the fourth case regarding the incident on 9 Aug 2022, when the defendant allegedly placed cyanide poison in food and drinks given to Police Lieutenant Sukhanda Wimonmal, also known as Captain Nui, former deputy finance inspector at Phu Pham Man Police Station, Khon Kaen Province, who consumed the poison and died. The defendant denied the charges and contested the case by citing her whereabouts.
Today, prison officials brought Ms. Sararat from the Central Women's Correctional Institution to attend the court hearing.
The court considered the testimonies and evidence presented by both sides, which contradicted each other. The facts accepted were that on the day of the incident, the defendant and the deceased, who were friends, went to a hermitage to have their fortunes told regarding the deceased's position, career, and love life. While at the hermitage, prosecution witnesses saw the defendant frequently entering, exiting, and talking on the phone, and noticed her nudging the deceased to leave while the reading was ongoing. Afterwards, they went to eat in Nakhon Pathom Province before parting ways to return home. The deceased later was involved in a roadside car accident in Kanchanaburi Province while returning home.
Rescue workers who assisted testified that they found the deceased unconscious and later deceased. Prosecution witnesses testified that the cause of death was heart failure, and toxicology tests found poison in the body. Medical Council witnesses confirmed the cause of death was respiratory failure due to cyanide poisoning. Other prosecution witnesses gave consistent testimonies.
Additionally, prosecution witnesses confirmed that the defendant ordered cyanide poison, was the sole person found possessing cyanide, and was the last person with the deceased.
The court found the prosecution's evidence strong and credible; their testimonies were truthful, with no prior ill feelings or reasons to falsely accuse the defendant. Therefore, the court accepted their testimony as truthful. The defendant's defense had many suspicious points and could not refute the prosecution's evidence. The court believed the defendant committed the crime as charged and sentenced her to death. However, considering the defendant's useful testimony, the court reduced the sentence by one-third to life imprisonment, to be served consecutively after two previous sentences from this court—death penalty and life imprisonment—already imposed on the defendant.
A reporter stated that previously, the Criminal Court had convicted Am Cyanide of murder in three cases: Case 1 involved the poisoning murder of Koi - Ms. Siriporn Khanwong, with a death sentence.
Case 2 involved the poisoning murder of Inspector Poo - Police Lieutenant Nipa Saenchan; the court sentenced Am Cyanide to death, but reduced it to life imprisonment due to her useful testimony.
Case 3 involved the poisoning murder of Ms. Nittaya Kaewbuppha, a female engineer in Nakhon Pathom. The court acquitted her due to insufficient evidence that the defendant possessed cyanide or intended to commit theft.