Kerala Woman Kills Family by Poisoning Them for Over a Year: What Is Slow Poisoning?

A 39-year-old woman has been found guilty of murdering her two daughters and parents, by poisoning them slowly for over a year. According to news reports, the woman PK Soumya confessed to the crime after eight hours of interrogation by Kerala Police. The case came to light after neighbours smelt a rat following the death of three members of her family, all of who died of similar circumstances. The perpetrator was separated from her husband and was living with her parents and children in Pinarai village of Kannur district, which also incidentally happens to be the Kerala CM Pinarai Vijayan’s hometown.

The first death in the family took place in 2012, shortly after she moved in with her parents. Her one-year-old daughter Keethana died after a brief bout of vomiting and diarrhoea. Her death was attributed due to natural causes back then. Earlier this year in January, Ishwarya, her 8-year-old also died after suffering from similar symptoms. Her mother Kamala died in March and her father Kunjikannan in April. What roused the neighbours’ suspicion was that all the three deceased exhibited the same symptoms shortly before their death. Sensing a pattern in these deaths, they alerted the police.

All the deaths had occurred at the victims’ home, and no autopsy was conducted. The police exhumed the body of Iswarya and found traces of aluminium phosphide, a chemical used for killing rats. During the questioning, the police found inconsistencies and contradictions in her statements. A police officer investigating the case revealed that further details of the crime will only be revealed after she is thoroughly questioned.

What is Slow Poisoning?

Slow poisoning is a technique adopted by killers to murder their victim without arousing suspicion and making their death look natural. It involves using small amounts of poison over a long period to kill them slowly. Perpetrators of such crime are usually close to their victims and often live in the same house together. They are generally in charge of kitchen duties and cooking, which helps them carry out the crime discreetly.

Common poisons used by killers include arsenic, aluminium phosphide, antifreeze, ricin, cyanide, etc. The rationale behind adding small doses of the poison instead of a big deadly dose is to prevent any suspicion. Slow poisoning can systematically worsen the health of the victims and when death happens eventually, it will be attributed to natural causes since they have been falling sick constantly. The small dose of the poison has a lesser chance of showing up during routine blood works. Since the technique is discreet, perpetrators can avoid physical confrontation and the hassles of cleaning up and hiding the body.

Signs of Slow Poisoning

Some physical symptoms of slow poisoning may include:

1. Undertaste in food

2. Burning sensation in the mouth after eating

3. Numbness in the hands and a feeling of pins-and-needles

4. Metallic taste in the mouth

5. Frequent odour in the mouth

6. Abdominal symptoms like cramps

7. Gagging

8. Headaches and lightheadedness

9. Hallucinations, nightmares and severe anxiety

10. Weight loss and loss of appetite

11. Dilation of pupils

12. Confusion

13. Slurred speech

The motivations for a poisoner are the same as those for any other killer – greed, jealousy or hatred. Slow poisoners are considered the coldest among all killers as they watch their victims die a slow and drawn out death, instead of relieving them quickly with a lethal dose. Poison is primarily considered “a woman’s weapon”, and many famous poisoners in history like Stacey Castor who killed two husbands and almost killed her daughter with antifreeze have been women, research shows that a higher proportion of poisoners are men.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 25, 2018 01:43 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).