Woman charged in slaying of former boyfriend
A woman was charged Thursday with first-degree murder and first-degree assault after police say she poisoned her former boyfriend and injured another woman in Kirkland earlier this month.
Janjira Jeffrey Smith, 51, is accused of killing Roger Lewis, 56, and causing the temporary blindness of Thanyarat O. Sengpharaghanh, 42, by putting insecticide into a bottle of liqueur.
Smith had lived in a downtown Redmond apartment. She is now believed to be a fugitive in her native country of Thailand, according to the U.S. Marshals Office in Seattle.
Lewis' body was discovered in a condominium in the 500 block of Sixth Avenue in Kirkland about 11 p.m. Oct. 7, according to court filings.
Sengpharaghanh, who is also known as "Nina," was found disoriented and blind and was taken to Evergreen Hospital, where it was determined she had suffered a stroke from a lack of oxygen.
The filings stated that Lewis recently visited the Philippines, and upon his return, had told Smith that he was marrying a woman he met there.
On Oct. 6, Smith arranged to have a bottle of insecticide-laced Jägermeister liqueur delivered to Lewis, according to the charges. Lewis drank a glass and Sengpharaghanh consumed half a glass at about 6:30 p.m. on Oct. 6. Sengpharaghanh said she "almost immediately" began to feel ill, according to the charges.
Peyton Whitely: 206-464-2259 or pwhitely@seattletimes.com