Jolly Joseph Case: 14 Years, 6 Murders And Cyanide! Why Did Kerala's Jolly Joseph Case Come Into The Limelight Again?

Koodathai Serial Killings: This case is also known as Koodathai Serial Killings. The killings took place over a period of 14 years from 2002 to 2016.

Koodathai Serial Killings

New Delhi: The Netflix documentary on the Jolly Joseph case, titled "Curry and Cyanide: The Jolly Joseph Case," is based on the perplexing serial killing case in Kerala. Allegedly centred around a series of six murders claimed by Jolly Joseph, the documentary was released on Friday, December 22.

This case is also known as the Koodathai serial killings, involving murders that occurred from 2002 to 2016 over a span of 14 years. Let's delve into the details of the entire case.

Who Was Jolly?

According to a report by The Indian Express, Jolly Joseph was the daughter of a wealthy cardamom farmer in Wadakkanchery village, Idukki. She was the first woman in her family to attend college, portraying herself as an ambitious woman with dreams beyond agriculture. In 1997, during a relative's housewarming ceremony, Jolly met Roy Thomas, the eldest son of the Ponnamattam family in Koodathai. Roy's father, Tom, worked as a senior clerk in the education department, and his mother, Annamma, was a school teacher.

Roy had a younger brother and sister, and he had supposedly secured a well-paying job in Hyderabad. A romance blossomed between Jolly and Roy, leading to their marriage shortly after. However, the reality of their marriage was not as it seemed. Jolly realized that Roy was unemployed and spent most of his time at home after their marriage. Despite claiming to have an M.Com degree, Jolly had not completed her post-graduation, as she had falsely asserted.

How Did Lies Lead To The First Murder?

According to reports, Jolly's first alleged victim was her 57-year-old mother-in-law, Annamma Thomas. After Annamma insisted on Jolly finding a job or continuing her education upon discovering her (fake) M.Com degree, Jolly concocted a story of securing a guest lecturer position at Kottayam College. Subsequently, she would leave home and return only on weekends. Fearing that Annamma might discover her lies, Jolly decided to take matters into her own hands in 2002. 

Jolly procured cyanide, disguised as a visit to a veterinary clinic, and mixed it in her mother-in-law's soup on August 22, resulting in Annamma's death.

The Pressure Of Property Led Jolly To Commit More Murders

The next target of Jolly's alleged crimes was her 66-year-old father-in-law, Tom Thomas. Tom owned significant land, around 1600 square meters, which he intended to give to his younger son Rozo before leaving for the United States. Fearing that she would be left with nothing if her unemployed husband had no inheritance, Jolly planned to seize the property.

In 2008, Tom, who was in Colombo to visit his only daughter, planned to go to the United States from there. Jolly called him back, claiming to be pregnant and expressing concern about Roy's excessive drinking. Troubled by the situation, Tom returned to Kerala, where Jolly successfully managed to gain control of his property by preparing a fake will. On August 22, exactly six years after the first murder, she killed her father-in-law using cyanide.

The supply of cyanide was facilitated by Mathew, with whom Jolly was having an extramarital affair.  Jolly sought Mathew's help, claiming that Tom had discovered their illicit relationship.

Turning The Husband Into The Next Victim

No one doubted the first two deaths. 2011 was the third death of Roy Thomas, which gave the impression of murder for the first time. After Tom's death, Roy inherited all his wealth. Jolly's next murder was done with the intention of laying a hand on that property.

On October 30, 2011, Roy was found lying unconscious on the floor of his bathroom, vomiting and foaming at the mouth. He was declared dead at the hospital. Suspecting something wrong, Roy's siblings and his 68-year-old uncle Matthew (not to be confused with Jolly's boyfriend) managed to get an autopsy done – which revealed the presence of cyanide in his body.

According to the Indian Express report, Jolly explained to the police that Roy, a depressed alcoholic, had ended his life. The local police agreed to this argument and did not investigate further. Jolly was now a house and property owner, and the way was clear for her to live her life.

But The Killings Did Not Stop

Not everyone was satisfied with the police's findings. Uncle Mathew insisted on investigating the mysterious deaths of his sister, brother-in-law and nephew — making him Jolly's next target. On an ill-fated date in 2014, Jolly mixed cyanide in Matthew's drink. Matthew collapsed, and was rushed to the hospital by Jolly and neighbours, but it was too late.

Meanwhile, Jolly was having another affair, this time with her late husband's cousin Shaju Zacharias. Unlike Roy, Shaju was a teacher with a steady source of income. But to unite, Jolly needed to "remove" the additional barriers.

The first was Shaju's younger daughter Alfein. On May 1, 2014, Jolly gave the girl cyanide – Alfin died a few days later. Shaju's wife Sili was 'eliminated'. On January 11, 2016, Jolly took Silly to the dentist, where she mixed cyanide in her medications. Jolly attended Sily's funeral, and started visiting Shaju's house frequently. The couple got married in 2017.

How Did 'Deaths' Turn Into 'Murders'?

Suspicion arose after the death of Roy Thomas in 2011, which hinted at foul play for the first time. Following her brother's death, Rojo Thomas was never satisfied with Jolly's versions of events. Eventually, in June 2019, she contacted the police, demanding an investigation into the deaths of her parents and brother. After exhuming the bodies, a post-mortem revealed the presence of cyanide, proving foul play.

Jolly was arrested on October 5, 2019, and she confessed to all her crimes. Mathew, her accomplice in the supply of cyanide, was also apprehended. Both are currently in custody, facing trial for their actions.