The truth behind a series of six deaths in a family was not the only revelation for Koodathayi town in North Kerala’s Kozhikode, when the Kerala police arrested 47-year-old Jolly Joseph on 5 October, Saturday.
For more than two decades, Jolly, a beautician, had convinced an entire town, including her two sons, that she was a lecturer at the National Institute of Technology (NIT) in Kozhikode. A lie, that has lesser significance since the six murders have been revealed, however, speaks volumes about the killer, say the police.
As her interrogation continues, investigation officer and Kozhikode rural SP, KG Simon told The Quint she had no remorse, instead Jolly was rattled that she was arrested, something she didn’t expect.
Between 2002 and 2016, she killed six using cyanide, including a one-year-old child. As each murder went undetected her confidence increased, the officer added.
While initial reports said that these murders were carried out for property, the police are now saying that each murder had its own motive, and she even managed in getting other family members to join her while executing these murders.
The Pious Woman Who Lived a Lie
She was a “pious, cheerful and talkative woman with a wide network of friends” according to the residents of the town. A frequent churchgoer, who held prayer meetings at her house often, she had convinced the town that she was a lecturer. Something that pointed the needle of the suspicion away from her despite the ‘unnatural deaths in her family’.
But this 'professor at NIT' was, in fact, a BCom graduate. “When we asked her about this, she said that she had lied about her education and job, so that people respected her," said SP Simon.
She used to travel in a car with an ‘NIT’ sticker that had made her popular among the locals. "We are unclear if her former husband knew about this but it was only two months ago that her 21-year-old son started suspecting her claim of being a lecturer,” the officer added.
Another neighbour, who spoke to a news channel recollected how Jolly broke the news of her second marriage. “It was long after Roy’s death. She came to me and said she was getting married to his cousin. She said the family was insisting that she married him. She asked me to come for the wedding, I didn’t go,” said the neighbour.
But investigations show that this pious churchgoer had gained the confidence to murder and with each death there was a loophole left behind.
First Victim Was Mother-in-Law
It is unclear how she procured poison for the first murder. But cops believe she had slow poisoned her mother-in-law, since Jolly knew that the elderly lady had several ailments.
Before her death in 2002, Jolly’s mother-in-law, Annamma Thomas was admitted to a private hospital when she had complained of uneasiness after eating mutton soup. The doctors couldn’t find anything wrong with Annamma even after running multiple tests on her.
“Now, we have learnt that the family had filed a case with the police alleging medical negligence against the private hospital, blaming them for their inability to find the disease for the death. But the hospital insisted that they were not able to find any ‘known aliments’ on Annamma,” said the SP.
Second Murder for Property
The motive behind the first murder was to get financial control over the family, which was until then held by Annamma. The lack of suspicion in the first murder prompted the second murder in 2008. This time over property.
“Her father-in-law, Tom Thomas had sold some property and paid the couple a certain amount of money. He said that was the only amount they are getting from the family properties. This dispute led to the second murder. Jolly was hostile to Tom and had even stopped his plans to move to USA with their younger son,” the SP added.
When 66-year-old Tom died of a ‘heart attack’, it was considered to be a natural death. Soon after, fabricated documents ensured that the couple got a larger share of the property left behind by the elderly couple.
Killing Her Husband
Jolly is originally from Kattappana in Idukki and had a love marriage with Roy in 1998.
When she murdered her husband in 2011, she had taken proactive steps, such as going out of her way to tell people that her husband Roy had died of a heart attack. She even narrated an elaborate story about how she was making eggs for dinner for Roy, when he died of a heart attack.
“But the postmortem report clearly showed that there was undigested rice and chickpeas, which was Roy’s favourite in his body. So, he was fed poison through food,” said the officer.
Roy had found out some personal details about Jolly which had led to a problem between the couple. The arguments over this, we believe, is the motive behind the third murder.
The third murder was a turning point. Despite her attempts to make it a heart attack, a police probe revealed the presence of poison in his body. However, then investigation officer, sub-inspector Ramanunni didn’t probe further into how the cyanide went inside his body. The case was closed as suicide.
Jolly’s role, too, was not probed in detail, even though her claim of a heart attack was misleading.
Death of the Whistleblower
Even though the police investigation didn’t point fingers at Jolly, Roy’s maternal uncle MM Mathew, demanded an autopsy alleging foul play. He met several senior police officers demanding the same in the following days.
In 2014, he collapsed in his house, while his wife was out. Incidentally, it was Jolly who informed the locals about this and he died on the way to the hospital.
Mathew was suspicious of Jolly and it was one of the reasons for demanding an autopsy, said the police. Jolly, who is in police custody, has confessed to killing Mathew.
Murdering a Child for Love
Seven years after Roy’s death, Jolly married Roy’s cousin Shaju. Years before this marriage, Shaju’s wife and daughter had died under mysterious circumstances.
In 2014, Shaju’s daughter had died after allegedly choking on food. At the time of her death, Jolly was present at the house. Two years later, Shaju’s wife, Sili collapsed at the dentist’s office after drinking water. Sili died on Jolly’s lap, the police said.
Talking about the possible motive, the officer said: “We have statements of the people to whom Jolly had said that Shaju would be a good husband,” said the SP.
On 7 October, Monday, police questioned Shaju as they suspected he was aware of the murders. However, he was let off in the evening.
More Skeletons in the Closet?
According to SP Simon, Roy’s younger sister, Reji has now alleged that Jolly tried killing her as well. In 2002, after Annamma’s death, Reji said she had fallen seriously ill after drinking an ayurvedic medicine.
She felt better later and didn’t suspect it to be foul play then, Reji told the police. In light of the recent event, Reji now suspects Jolly tried killing her as well. However, the police are yet to register an FIR as there is evidence to back the claim.
Apart from Reji, now the family of a local politician, too, have alleged that Jolly was behind his death. The family has claimed that Jolly was involved in some financial transactions over a land sale with the politician. Police have now recorded the statement of the politician’s son.
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