Koodathayi Cyanide Murders

2021-07-31T15:16:18Z

117.223.36.112:

{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2019}}
{{Use Indian English|date=September 2019}}
{{Infobox event
| title= '''Koodathayi Cyanide Murders'''
| time=
| duration= 14 years of span
| venue=
| location= [[Koodathayi]], [[Kozhikode district|Kozhikode]], [[Kerala]], India
| coordinates=
| also_known_as=
| type= [[Cyanide poisoning]]
| inquiries = K.G. Simon, [[Superintendent of police (India)|Rural SP]], [[Kerala Police]]
| outcome=
| casualties1= Annamma Thomas, Tom Thomas, Roy Thomas
| casualties2= Mathew Manjayadil, Alphine Shaju, Sily Shaju
| casualties3=
| reported deaths= 6
| arrests= 3 (Till 15 October 2019)
| suspects= Jolly Joseph, M. S. Mathew, Praji Kumar
| charges= Murder
}}

'''Koodathayi Cyanide Murders''' were a series of [[criminal]] incidents that occurred at [[Koodathayi]] in [[Kozhikode district]], in the [[South India]]n state of [[Kerala]]. The crimes were investigated in late 2019, involving the mystery of 6 people's murder over a span of 14 years. The murder was one of the criminal cases which drew considerable media and public interest in Kerala, which eventually led to the arrest of Jolly Joseph. The case also led to a debate on the legal and moral implications.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://english.manoramaonline.com/news/kerala/2019/10/08/koodathayi-morders-story-so-far.html|title=Koodathayi cyanide murders: The story so far|website=OnManorama|language=en|access-date=2019-10-16}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.manoramaonline.com/health/health-news/2019/10/14/koodathayi-murder-jolly-psychopathic.html|title=സീരിയൽ കില്ലറായ സ്ത്രീകളുടെ മനഃശാസ്ത്രം; ഡോക്ടർ പറയുന്നു|website=ManoramaOnline|language=ml|access-date=2019-10-16|trans-title=The psychology of women as serial killers; Says the doctor}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/19/world/asia/india-koodathayai-murder.html|title=Police Say Cyanide Soup and 6 Deaths Point to a Serial Killer|first1=Shalini Venugopal|last1=Bhagat|first2=Maria|last2=Abi-Habib|date=19 October 2019|via=NYTimes.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cnn.com/2019/11/08/asia/jolly-joseph-murder-india-intl-hnk/index.html|title=Mom, churchgoer, chatty neighbor ... suspected serial killer|author=Julia Hollingsworth|author2= Manveena Suri|author3= Ananthu Sureshkumar|website=CNN}}</ref>

==Timeline of the crimes==

In 2002, Annamma Thomas, the mother-in-law of the accused, died after consuming mutton soup. In 2008, Tom Thomas, Annamma's husband, passed away after swooning and collapsing. Their daughter-in-law Jolly Joseph was allegedly present on the spot on both occasions. In 2011, Roy Thomas, Jolly's then-husband, died after consuming rice and curry. He was found dead in a bathroom which was locked from the inside. The cause of death was then ruled as suicide due to financial issues as the post-mortem report showed traces of poison. Roy Thomas' maternal uncle Mathew Manjayadil called for a post-mortem report and an inquiry into Roy's cause of death. In 2014, Mathew swooned and died after Jolly allegedly gave him poison-laden whisky. The deceased Roy Thomas has a cousin called Shaju Zachariah. The same year, Shaju's toddler daughter, Alphine Shaju, died after "choking on food". In 2016, Jolly allegedly gave Sily Shaju, Alphine's mother, a glass of water and the later died on the spot with excessive frothing at the mouth.<ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=https://gulfnews.com/world/asia/india/kerala-serial-killer-jolly-everything-you-need-to-know-1.1570526945036|title=Kerala serial killer Jolly: Everything you need to know|website=gulfnews.com|language=en|access-date=2019-10-16}}</ref>

==About the accused==

47-year-old [[Jolly Joseph]] is the prime suspect in the murder of six members of the family she married into. It was Rojo Thomas, Roy Thomas' brother, who complained to the police about the six unnatural deaths whose investigation led to Jolly Joseph. Following her arrest in October of 2019, Jolly has confessed to using [[cyanide]] to kill the six aforementioned people. She allegedly obtained the cyanide with the help of M. S. Mathew and Praji Kumar, who have also been arrested.

===Jolly Joseph===

Jolly is originally from [[Kattappana]], [[Idukki district]] and a first year college dropout. She married her first husband Roy Thomas in 1997. Jolly and Roy had two sons, now aged 15 and 21. According to her neighbour, Jolly lied to fellow villagers about being a M.Com graduate and having a job at [[National Institute of Technology Calicut]]. However, her true whereabouts during her daily outings to fake her "job" remains uncertain. In 2011, her husband Roy Thomas died under mysterious circumstances. Following the death of Shaju Zachariah's wife in 2016, Jolly married Shaju.<ref name="auto"/> Jolly has been described as "jovial, friendly and pious" by people who knew her.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://gulfnews.com/world/asia/india/jovial-friendly-pious-shocked-kerala-town-recalls-its-serial-killer-who-killed-6-people-over-14-years-1.1570461633045|title=Jovial, friendly, pious: Shocked Kerala town recalls its 'serial killer' who killed 6 people over 14 years|website=gulfnews.com|language=en|access-date=2019-10-16}}</ref>

=== M. S. Mathew ===
According to the police, Mathew, a jewellery shop employee who is also a relative of Jolly, provided Jolly with the cyanide. He reportedly told the police that he procured the cyanide from Prajikumar after giving him two bottles of alcohol and ₹5,000. <ref>{{Cite web|url=https://english.manoramaonline.com/news/kerala/2019/10/14/koodathayi-murder-jolly-cyanide-mathew-prajikumar-statements.html|title=Two bottles of alcohol & Rs 5,000: How co-suspect in Koodathayi murders got cyanide|website=OnManorama|language=en|access-date=2019-10-16}}</ref> Mathew alleges that Jolly asked him for cyanide to kill a rat in her house.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/jolly-josephs-relative-confessed-he-got-cyanide-her-rs-5000-say-cops-110522|title=Jolly Joseph's relative confessed he got cyanide for her for Rs 5000, say cops|last=|first=|date=|website=www.thenewsminute.com|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191014184909/https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/jolly-josephs-relative-confessed-he-got-cyanide-her-rs-5000-say-cops-110522|archive-date=14 October 2019|access-date=2019-10-16}}</ref>

=== Praji Kumar ===
Praji Kumar is a goldsmith who allegedly gave M. S. Mathew the cyanide. He stated that he assumed the poison was being bought to kill a rat.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.keralakaumudi.com/en/news/news.php?id=166643&u=cyanide-was-given-to-kill-greater-bandicoot-rat-don%E2%80%99t-have-any-role-in-conspiracy-says-praji-kumar|title=Cyanide was given to kill greater bandicoot rat, don’t have any role in conspiracy, says Praji Kumar|last=Daily|first=Keralakaumudi|website=Keralakaumudi Daily|language=en|access-date=2019-10-16}}</ref>

==Cultural references==
[[Antony Perumbavoor]] announced his upcoming movie would be based on the Koodathayi incident, leading role play by [[Mohanlal]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theweek.in/news/entertainment/2019/10/09/kerala-cyanide-murders-to-become-movie-mohanlal-to-play-key-role.html|title=Kerala cyanide murders to become movie, Mohanlal to play key role|website=The Week}}</ref> synchronized actress Dini Daniel launched a poster through social media of her new movie based the same topic in which she plays as [[Jolly Joseph]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://deepika.com/cinema/CinemaNews.aspx?ID=4401|title=ഡിനി ഡാനിയേൽ നായികയാകുന്ന "കൂടത്തായി'; ഫസ്റ്റ്ലുക്ക് എത്തി : Cinema News|website=deepika.com|trans-title=Fidelukku: Koodiyattayi starring Dini Daniel|language=ml}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/malayalam/movies/news/mohanlal-to-play-investigation-officer-in-koodathai-murder-case-inspired-thriller/articleshow/71501818.cms|title=Mohanlal to play investigation officer in Koodathai murder case inspired thriller? - Times of India|website=The Times of India}}</ref>
Malayalam entertainment-oriented TV channels are airing the same topic in their serials but using a different method of storytelling fencing against legal issues.<ref>https://www.madhyamam.com/kerala/koodathai-serial-kerala-news/663453</ref>

On 7 September 2020, [[Spotify]] launched a ten-episode original podcast, ''Death, Lies & Cyanide'' narrated by the journalist [[Sashi Kumar]], based on the murders.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Bhavani |first1=Divya Kala |title=A journalistic podcast on the infamous ‘cyanide woman’ of Kerala |url=https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/spotify-india-podcast-true-crime-death-lies-cyanide-sashi-kumar-journalist-interview/article32540044.ece |access-date=1 January 2021 |work=[[The Hindu]] |date=7 September 2020 |language=en-IN}}</ref>

In the popular Indian television show [[Crime Patrol (TV series)|Crime Patrol ]] Satark season 2, broadcast on [[Sony Pictures Networks India]], the episodes 100, 101 and 102 are dedicated to explaining the events in the real case.
It can be found on [[YouTube]].

==References==
{{Reflist}}

[[Category:2019 in India]]
[[Category:Crime in Kerala]]
[[Category:Familicides]]
[[Category:Murder in India]]
[[Category:Scandals in India]]
[[Category:Deaths by poisoning]]

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Koodathayi Cyanide Murders