Chennai SHOCKER! Homeopath murders girlfriend, sprays chemicals to mask smell for 4 months, arrested

An Austrian homeopath’s secret chemical formula kept two corpses from decaying for over four months inside their flat in an apartment complex in Thirumullaivoyal, neighbourhood of Chennai.

The decomposed bodies of 37-year-old Cynthia and her father, Samuel Shankar, 78, were discovered inside their flat, after concerned neighbors alerted authorities about a foul odor coming from the apartment. When police forced their way in, they discovered long-hidden remains of the father and daughter, their decomposition only recently setting in.

The suspect, 34-year-old Samuel Ebenezer Sampath, a homeopathy practitioner from Austria, was arrested in Kancheepuram. Investigations revealed that he had murdered Cynthia following a heated argument about her father’s death.

Ebenezer and Cynthia had met through social media and moved in together in September 2024, choosing to stay with her ailing father due to his frequent dialysis treatments. When Samuel Shankar succumbed to kidney failure months ago, Cynthia directed her grief and anger at Ebenezer, blaming him for failing to save her father.

As tensions simmered, the situation spiraled into a violent confrontation. Just as Ebenezer was preparing for an overseas trip, Cynthia opposed his departure, leading to a bitter clash. In the heat of the moment, Ebenezer pushed her, causing her to collapse and lose consciousness. Moments later, she was dead.

The cover-up

With two bodies in the apartment, Ebenezer sprayed a concoction of undisclosed chemicals, delaying decomposition and masking the odor. To further contain the smell, he left the air conditioner running non-stop. Then, locking the flat behind him, he fled to Kancheepuram, staying with his relatives in an attempt to evade suspicion.

Meanwhile, neighbors had started noticing a strong, putrid smell in the building but dismissed it as an issue with outdoor units. "We had been experiencing a foul smell for the past few weeks, but with so many ACs running in the complex, we didn’t suspect anything unusual," said Kamala, a neighbor.

However, when the stench became unbearable, residents reported the matter to the police. Upon breaking into the flat, authorities uncovered the horrifying truth. The bodies were sent to the Government Kilpauk Medical College and Hospital for post-mortem examination.

Ebenezer was swiftly tracked down and arrested in Kancheepuram. He has been charged with Cynthia’s murder, while investigators continue to piece together the exact timeline of events that led to this gruesome tragedy.

Also read: 'Political conspiracy to influence Delhi polls': Arvind Kejriwal alleges EC bias amid water poison row