If You Can't Pay Up ....

Sherine Chong, 56, is a dual national American / Vietnamese citizen, and she had been lent a large sum of money by Thi Nguyen Phuong and Hong Pham Thanh, a Vietnamese couple, to invest in a hospital building project in Japan.

Sherine Chong - Face Of A Serial Killer

The wealthy couple had made their money via their ownership of a construction business in Vietnam.

The sum owed had been described as "ten million of Thai Baht" by Thai authorities. However with ten million Baht worth around $272,000 (£215,000), that seems to not be an  extraordinarily large amount, however there are some reports that the total sum she owed is likely to have been larger, as this sum wasn't sufficient to invest in a hospital build in Japan. Vietnamese news outlet VN Express, investigators said Ms Chong had, actually been sued by all the other five, over their failed loans and her investments in the hospital scheme.

So after Thailand removed its visa requirements for many local countries, including Vietnamese nationals, Thi Nguyen Phuong, her husband Hong Pham Thanh, Thi Nguyen Phuong Lan,  (who Chong had asked her to act as her intermediary with the couple regarding the investment), and Dinh Tran Phu, (Ms Chongs make-up artist), as well as fellow dual national American citizen, Dang Hung Van, and of course Ms Chong, all agreed to meet up in the Grand Hyatt Erawan in Bangkok to discuss the matter. They checked in to a number of rooms, with Ms Chong in Room 502. 

This was because the investment had run into trouble, and there was an impending court case due in Japan, as the couple had apparently already tried in vain to get their money back. Its believed that the meeting was supposed to be to try and amicably reach an out of court settlement, as Ms Chong had not repaid the loaned money, and apparently had no money to do so .... the gist of this was that they personally had not invested in the Japanese hospital project, but had made a personal loan to Ms Chong who had made the investment, and she still owed them for the loaned amounts .... so Ms Chong was in a bit of a bind.

They had an initial meeting when checked in, but on Monday the 17th of July 2023, Ms Chong started receiving food orders at Room 502. She was alone in the suite at that time, she appeared stressed but refused the waiters offer to pour the tea, who said that she “spoke very little and was visibly under stress”. At 14:17 all six could be seen by the door with the five guests bringing their luggage, before it was shut, but none were seen alive again.

Hotel staff investigated when none of the people had checked out of their rooms by the evening and all the rooms but 502 were empty, and Police entered room 502 at 16:30 on Tuesday and found all six dead on the floor. All had apparently died in agony, foaming at the mouth, and the bodies were scattered across the room ....  two appeared to have tried to get to the suite's door, but it would have been too late even if they had. Another two bodies were still at the table, and another two in the bathroom .... it was not stated which of these was Ms Chong.

With no bullet wounds or physical signs of harm and their lips and nails dark purple indicating a lack of oxygen, while their internal organs turned "blood red", which are both classic signs of cyanide poisoning, it was quickly realised that this was a mass murder suicide. Forensic experts found several pieces of evidence at the scene, including a tea bag suspected to contain a large quantity of cyanide, which appears to have been the delivery method.  

Traces of the rapid-acting, deadly chemical were found during autopsies of the bodies and on glasses and a teapot in the room. Cyanide dissolved in water is tasteless, and so the drinkers would have had no idea and the toxin can take effect in less than five minutes.

Police surmised that the only one with a motive was Ms Chong who couldn't repay the loan, and who may even have misspent the cash rather than invested it. She was the one who wanted another meeting in her room, and she had refused to let the waiter prepare or pour the tea. She was named as the killer and the suicide. 

One lucky soul was the seventh name in the hotel reservation, who was the sister of one of the six but she returned to Vietnam from Thailand before the meeting, and police said she was not involved in the incident. Despite stiff penalties for illegal possession of cyanide, Thailand enjoys something of a reputation for Cyanide killings .... In 2023, Thailand another serial killer who poisoned 15 people with cyanide over a span of years was caught. Sararat Rangsiwuthaporn, or "Am Cyanide" as she would later be called, killed at least 14 people who she owed money to and became the country's first female serial killer. One person survived.

While Lê Thanh Vân known as 'The Cyanide Witch,' was a Vietnamese fraudster and serial killer who, together with her accomplice and husband Dìu Dãnh Quang, poisoned at least 13 people with cyanide from 1998 to 2001 for financial gain. She was convicted, sentenced to death and subsequently executed for her crimes in 2005.