Suspect in Mass Cyanide Poisoning That Left Six Dinner Guests Dead Among the Victims

Sherine Chong is suspected of killing herself and the five other individuals to whom she owed money

One of the six victims of what is believed to have been a mass cyanide poisoning in Thailand has been identified as the possible culprit.

According to the Associated Press, The Wall Street Journal, and The Bangkok Post, Sherine Chong is suspected of killing herself and the five other individuals to whom she owed money after meeting at her suite at the Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel on Monday, July 15.

The outlets reported that Chong is a U.S. citizen along with 55-year-old victim Dang Hung Van. The four other victims were identified as Vietnamese nationals Nguyen Thi Phuong Lan, 47, Pham Hong Thanh, 49, Tran Dinh Phu, 37, and Nguyen Thi Phuong, 46.

After hotel staff were unable to contact the individuals after checkout time on Tuesday, July 16, police were called to the hotel and found their dead bodies among six uneaten meals and six teacups with traces of cyanide whose contents appeared to have been consumed.

While the case remains under investigation, the outlets reported that Chong was the only one in the hotel suite when the room service was delivered and had refused help in preparing the tea.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Thailand confirmed in a press briefing on Thursday, July 18, that an autopsy of the deceased "revealed similar conditions and evidence leading to the likelihood of poison - cyanide - being the cause of death."

According to the The Wall Street Journal, Maj. Gen. Noppasin Poonsawat, the deputy commander of Bangkok’s metropolitan police, told reporters on Wednesday that "evidence suggests the only purpose of the visit for some of the victims was to discuss the debt that Chong owed to the others."

The outlet reported that Chong had arranged an investment on behalf of the group that they believed would go toward a road construction project in Vietnam and a hospital in Japan.

"No illegal items were found in the luggage, and there is no evidence to suggest any relation to a transnational criminal organization. Further investigation and examinations are needed and will require approximately 1-2 days to complete," said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Thailand.

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"Thailand places great importance on the safety of its citizens and tourists alike. The Prime Minister acted immediately after the incident and was present at the scene to instruct relevant agencies in investigating the cause of death of these foreign nationals as a matter of urgency," the statement continued.

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