HCMC – A Vietnamese-American woman has been identified as a suspect in the murder of four Vietnamese nationals and another Vietnamese-American.
The suspect killed herself after she poisoned the five people by cyanide while they were staying at a luxury hotel in central Bangkok, Vietnamese media reports said, citing Thai authorities.
At a press conference this morning, Major General Teeradej Thamsuthee announced preliminary investigation results after questioning witnesses and those involved in the case in which six individuals died at the five-star Grand Hyatt Erawan hotel yesterday, July 16.
After examining the scene and the blood of the deceased, the forensic agency determined that there was cyanide in the teapot and six coffee cups in the room where the bodies of the six persons were found. Cyanide is an extremely potent poison that can cause immediate death.
Sherine Chong, a 56-year-old Vietnamese-American citizen, was identified by Thai authorities as the culprit. She was believed to poison the other five before killing herself with cyanide.
The mass murder was suspected to have been motivated by debt issues. The six people may have come to the same room to resolve debts amounting to millions of Thai baht, according to Thai authorities.
Surveillance video footage showed that hotel room service staff began cleaning Room 502 at 1:01 p.m. on July 15, then brought food into the room as requested. The cleaning staff left the room at 1:57 p.m., and at that time, only Chong was inside.
By 2:04 p.m., the others successively brought their suitcases into the room. From 2:17 p.m. onwards, all the six individuals were inside the room and never left. On the afternoon of July 16, six bodies were found, including four Vietnamese and two Vietnamese-Americans.
