Lecture Notes: The Case of Am - Online Gambling and Cyanide Murders

Introduction

• Subject: A woman known as "Am" from Thailand becomes embroiled in a series of murders tied to her online gambling addiction.
• Key Problem: Am, driven by her gambling debt, resorts to poisoning her friends to avoid repayment and finance her addiction.

Am's Background

• Age and Location: Am is 26 years old and resides in Thailand.
• Addiction: She is addicted to online gambling, initially winning but subsequently losing money.

Initial Incident (2015)

• Loan from a Friend: Am borrows $3,000 from a friend to gamble.
• Murder: To avoid repayment, Am poisons her friend with cyanide, leading to the friend’s death.
• Escape: Am steals her friend's belongings and gets away due to cyanide's hard-to-detect nature.

Life Progression

• Marriage: Am marries Weetoon, a police officer, and seems to lead a prosperous life until she spirals into gambling debt again.

Subsequent Murders

• Pattern: Whenever friends request repayment, Am resorts to poisoning them with cyanide.
• Incidents (2020-2022): Several friends are murdered, including a police captain, friend while shopping, and others in various settings.
• Method: Am uses cyanide in food, drink, pills, and even cough medicine.

Weetoon's Involvement

• Complicity: Weetoon discovers Am's crimes but doesn’t report her; instead, he assists her, becoming a getaway driver.

Break in the Case

• Koi's Incident: Koi, a recent friend, is poisoned during a religious ritual.
• Suspicion: Koi's mother demands an investigation, leading to the discovery of cyanide in Koi's system.

Arrest and Trial

• Evidence: Security footage places Am at the scene of Koi's death.
• Outcome: Am is arrested, tried, and sentenced to death for the murders of 14 friends over 10 years.
• Weetoon's Sentence: Weetoon is sentenced to one year and four months in prison for his involvement.

Conclusion

• Impact: The case highlights the extreme lengths to which addiction can drive individuals and the complex layers of criminal complicity.

Key Takeaways

• Cyanide Detection: Difficult to detect, allowing initial crimes to go unnoticed.
• Addiction and Crime: Gambling addiction was a primary motivator for the murders.
• Legal Outcome: Serious repercussions for both Am and her complicit husband.