Koodathayi serial murder: Jolly spread cyanide on bread for Shaju’s little daughter, say police sources

Kozhikode: The menu for effecting the shocking serial murders reported from Kozhikode district in Kerala was varied and sumptuous, the ongoing probe revealed.

Soup, liquor, curry, tapioca or bread were reportedly used by Jolly Joseph, the prime suspect in the Koodathayi serial killings, to lace poison to do way with her first husband and five others members of his family at different times between 2002 and 2016.

The latest reports from police sources reveal the 47-year-old educated woman, who belongs to a well-off family, had given cyanide-coated bread to kill nearly two-year-old Alphine, who was among her six victims.

A person had witnessed Jolly handing over food to Alphine at the kitchen when the feast for the Holy Communion of Shaju's son was progressing at their house at at Kodenchery. This witness has conveyed this crucial information to the probe team.

Jolly has been accused of murdering her in-laws Tom Jose and Annamma, first husband Roy, relatives Sily, Alphine and Mathew. Sily was the wife of Roy's cousin Shaju and Alphine was the daughter of this couple. Mathew was Roy's maternal uncle. After Sily's death, Shaju married Jolly and now it is suspected he was well aware of her evil machinations.

Jolly was arrested earlier this month over the murder of her first husband Roy Thomas in 2011. Initially, she had confessed only to killing four others over a period of 14 years, but she refused to own up for the death of Alphine.When the police questioned Jolly based on the eyewitness' statements, she reportedly confessed to killing Alphine too.

In her statement to the police, Jolly said that she had been keeping the cyanide in her bag during the feast in 2015.

Alphine's mother Sily was having food at the shamiyana set up outside the house and she had called out to Shaju’s sister to give food to the child, who was inside the house. On hearing this, Jolly went into the kitchen and gave cyanide-coated bread to Shaju’s sister. Unaware of the poisonous content in the food, Shaju's sister dipped the bread in the chicken curry and gave to the little girl, police was told.

The eyewitness’ statement also said that the parents of both Jolly and Shaju, a woman from the neighbourhood and a maid were present at the kitchen during this time.

Soon after consuming the bread, the child fell ill and she was rushed to the hospital. Jolly along with Shaju's father Sakharias went in another vehicle.

The police probe also revealed that none had seen the remaining portion of the bread since the incident. Shaju had earlier told the police that he had seen Jolly at the shamiyana and that she did not venture into the house.

Jolly has admitted that she had planned to kill Sily too on the same day, May 3, 2014.  Sily was done away with at a dental hospital at Thamarassery two years later.

Their deaths allegedly at the hands of Jolly were preceded by four other in the family, all now suspected to be her handiwork. First of her victims was mother-in-law Annamma, a retired teacher, in 2002. She was followed by her father-in-law, Tom Thomas, in 2008. In 2011, their son and Jolly’s husband, Roy Thomas, also died. Then it was the turn of Roy’s maternal uncle, Mathew, in 2014.

Emboldened after each strike

Jolly reportedly told the police her confidence to eliminate more of her first husband's family grew as no fingers were pointed at her after each murder. The experience gave courage to carry out the next killing and naturally the interval between the murders decreased.

Though a post-mortem had found traces of cyanide in her Roy's body, no investigation was held. This also emboldened to commit the next crime, Jolly told the sleuths.

Earlier Jolly had nonchalantly narrated to the cops as to how she had committed each murder. Roy’s mother Annamma Thomas was killed in 2002 by giving pesticide-laced soup.

Second murder was committed six years later. Roy’s father Tom Thomas was given cyanide-mixed tapioca in 2008.

Three years later, Jolly killed Roy. She had allegedly mixed cyanide in Bengal gram curry (Kadala curry), his favourite, to eliminate him

Roy's uncle Mathew Manjadiyil, her fourth victim, was given cyanide-laced liquor in 2014. Thereafter, Aphine was killed with cyanide-coated bread.

One year later, attempts were made to kill Shaju's first wife Sily. Her two attempts failed, however, she managed to poison Sily to death in 2016 in the third attempt. Cyanide was given by mixing it in water and also by coating over pills. Thus Jolly brought about half a dozen deaths in the family.

Last desperate bid

It has now been revealed that Jolly made a vain bid to prevent the probe team from opening of the graves of her victims to check their mortal remains. She tried to dissuade relatives and friends by saying it was bad for the family if the graves were to be opened. She also tried to meet the Church authorities and scuttle the move. However, she backed off after realising that the probe team was closing in on the case.

The police began an investigation into the the mysterious deaths after Tom’s another son Rojo, who is in the US, filed a complaint. The bodies of the six victims were exhumed and sent for tests.