On November 18, 1988, police in St. Croix, Virgin Islands, responded to what was initially reported as a minor traffic accident. Upon arrival, they discovered Radha Maharaj, a Caribbean-born woman of Indian descent, suffering from internal injuries. She was rushed to the hospital but tragically succumbed to her condition before receiving treatment. Sixteen miles away, authorities found the body of her husband, Krishnadath Maharaj, lying on the side of the road. Both victims' clothing was soaked in seawater, and the couple had recently borrowed $25,000 in cash, which was missing from the scene.
Investigators later determined that Radha Maharaj and her husband had died from cyanide poisoning. Their deaths were part of a disturbing pattern of similar poisonings in St. Croix dating back to 1984. Authorities suspected that these cases were linked to a fraudulent voodoo practitioner who had been exploiting victims under the guise of performing rituals. While voodoo itself is a blend of Roman Catholicism and African traditions, the suspect appeared to be practicing Obia, an underground form of sorcery that is not officially connected to voodoo.
Prior to their deaths, Radha and Krishnadath had been receiving mysterious phone calls from an unidentified man. Their daughters, who helped run the family's grocery store, recalled that their mother seemed tense and reluctant to discuss the details of their financial dealings. Three weeks before their deaths, the couple had brought home the borrowed $25,000, but they never disclosed who the money was intended for or why they needed it.
Authorities linked the Maharajes' deaths to previous cyanide poisonings in St. Croix, including the deaths of Edsel Striden and Carmen Torres, a couple who had owned a small bar and had also taken out a large loan before their demise. Another victim, Haig Caesar, had died in 1984 after paying $100,000 to an Obiaman who claimed he could remove evil spirits guarding buried treasure. In each case, the victims had been instructed to drink a potion, which was later revealed to be cyanide.
Despite the clear connections between these cases, no arrests were made, and the identity of the suspected con artist remained unknown. The deaths of Radha Maharaj and her husband, along with the other victims, remain unsolved, leaving lingering questions about the true nature of the crimes and the individual responsible for orchestrating them.
