Kerala serial killer: Deaths, news of death fascinated Jolly

Kozhikode: With serial killer Jolly Joseph confessing to all the six deaths between 2002 and 2016 in her family, she told the police she liked death and the news of death.

According to the police, Jolly revealed that death fascinated her and she always wanted to know more about death and read such news. However, during the questioning, Jolly Thomas said she didn’t wish to witness any more deaths and the only death that she wished for was hers.

It also came to light that Jolly’s penchant for a luxurious life was the motive behind the crime and she never expected to be caught.

The police revealed that she often carried cyanide in her bag.

Police have circumstantial evidence against Jolly to charge her in court. 

With her six-day police custody set to end on Wednesday, Superintendent of Police K.G. Simon, who is leading the probe team, said on Sunday further custody would be sought, if required.

“The probe is going well. Jolly has confessed to all the six murders. Evidences are there against the three accused. At the moment nothing could be said about Shaju, second husband of Jolly Thomas,” said Simon.

Jolly had met a lawyer a day before her arrest, he said and added, it was on the lawyer’s advice that she held on during in the first few days of questioning.

“Lawyers while taking care of their client’s needs should also care for their social responsibility,” said Simon, expressing his ire at the lawyer, whose pep talk gave Jolly a lot of confidence.

Shaju has been asked to appear before the police on Monday.

Despite the confessions, the police are digging deep for the evidence as  circumstantial evidences may not suffice in charging her for all the crimes listed. 

The police are awaiting the first round of forensic reports on all the six bodies, exhumed a few days before Jolly and her two accomplices were arrested. They are also awaiting arrival of the complainant, Jolly’s husband’s brother, from the US.

Unnatural deaths in the family

The first to die an unnatural death in 2002 was Jolly’s mother-in-law Annamma, a retired teacher. She was followed by Jolly’s father-in-law, Tom Thomas, in 2008. In 2011, their son and Jolly’s husband, Roy Thomas, died. It was followed by the death of Roy’s maternal uncle, Mathew, in 2014.

The two-year-old child of Sily (Shaju’s first wife) died the following year, while Sily passed away in 2016.