A Love Marriage That Nobody Wanted:”The Chilling Story of Sam Abraham”

June 10, 2025

"The tragic murder of Sam Abraham in Australia unveils a chilling love triangle, betrayal, and justice in a real-life crime that shocked the Indian diaspora."

“The Cyanide Plot: Sam Abraham’s Tragic Death That Shocked Two Nations”

In the peaceful suburbs of Epping, Melbourne, a dark story of love, betrayal, and calculated murder unfolded — a story that left a Malayalee community shocked and heartbroken. Sam Abraham, a 34-year-old man from Kerala, was living what seemed like a dream life in Australia. He was a loving husband, a devoted father, and a respected member of his community. But what happened to him in October 2015 shattered the illusion of happiness and uncovered a chilling conspiracy that would shock two nations.

Sam Abraham was born and raised in Karuvaloor, a small town in Kerala’s Kollam district. He and his future wife, Sofia Sam, grew up just a few houses apart. Their childhoods intertwined in family gatherings and church choirs. Sam’s family — especially his parents Samuel and Leelamma — had always thought of Sofia almost like a daughter. No one could have imagined that she would one day be the reason for their son’s death.

As they grew older, Sam and Sofia’s bond deepened, and what began as a childhood friendship turned into a college romance. After some opposition from family and community members, they married in 2008. Sofia was smart and ambitious, holding an MSc degree in electronics. She worked in different cities like Bengaluru and Thiruvananthapuram before joining Sam in Melbourne in 2012, where the couple began a new chapter with their little son.

But this new chapter was far from a fairy tale. Unbeknownst to Sam, Sofia had rekindled a relationship with her old college lover — Arun Kamalasanan, an instrumentation engineer also living in Melbourne. Arun, originally from Palakkad, shared a secret and dangerous connection with Sofia, one that would eventually cost Sam his life.

The relationship between Sofia and Arun evolved quietly, hidden behind the facade of daily life. They met secretly and communicated through private Facebook messages and a shared diary they called “Upward.” In these exchanges, they didn’t just write about love and longing — they plotted Sam’s murder. As their affair grew deeper, so did their desperation to remove the one person standing in their way.

In July 2015, a masked man attacked Sam with a knife at Lalor station in Melbourne. Sam survived the stabbing, though he was deeply shaken. He began to feel that something wasn’t right — emotionally and spiritually. He even told his family during a visit to Kerala that he feared he would return to them in a coffin. At the time, no one thought much of it. But just months later, that haunting prediction came true.

On the night of October 12, 2015, the final act of this deadly drama played out. Arun had obtained cyanide — a deadly poison — and coordinated with Sofia to execute their plan. That night, Sofia prepared an avocado smoothie, laced it with sleeping pills, and served it to both Sam and their young son. Once the sedatives took effect, Arun quietly entered the house. With Sam unconscious in his bed, Arun forced cyanide-laced orange juice into his mouth. Within minutes, Sam was dead. Sofia called emergency services, claiming that her husband had suffered a heart attack.

No one suspected foul play at first. The body was flown back to Kerala, and Sam was laid to rest near his grandfather, just as he had requested. Sofia mourned publicly, even organizing prayers and memorial events, portraying the grieving widow to perfection. The community believed her. They even raised funds to support her and her child. She received around 30,000 Australian dollars in financial support — all while secretly continuing her relationship with Arun.

But the truth has a way of coming out. Police grew suspicious due to inconsistencies in Sofia’s statements. A more detailed autopsy was conducted, and cyanide was discovered in Sam’s system. This changed everything. Investigators began digging deeper and soon uncovered a web of lies, digital trails, and covert recordings that revealed the disturbing reality behind Sam’s death.

Sofia and Arun had left behind a trail of digital footprints. Their chats, love notes, and diary entries painted a chilling picture of premeditated murder. They had plotted for nearly a year, even considering other ways to kill Sam before settling on poison. In one diary entry, Arun wrote, “Planning is always needed… an idea without a plan is no more than a dream.” In another, he expressed his eagerness to see Sofia smile without the burden of Sam’s presence.

Police set up surveillance and began recording their conversations. In one recording, Arun confessed, saying, “I took that guy off.” Their affair continued even after Sam’s death — they opened a joint bank account, transferred Sam’s car to Arun, and made plans for a future together.

By February 2018, justice began to catch up with them. Both Sofia and Arun were arrested and put on trial in Melbourne’s Supreme Court. The prosecution presented damning evidence, including forensic reports, CCTV footage, and diary entries. A jury of 14 people found them both guilty of murder.

Sofia Sam was sentenced to 22 years in prison, with a non-parole period of 18 years. Arun Kamalasanan was initially sentenced to 27 years with a 23-year non-parole period. However, in August 2019, his sentence was reduced to 24 years with a 20-year non-parole period due to legal arguments about sentence parity. In the courtroom, Sofia was emotional and broke down in tears, while Arun remained expressionless.

As the court handed down justice, Sam’s family was left to pick up the pieces. Samuel and Leelamma still live with the pain of losing their only son in such a cruel and calculated way. Their trust had been destroyed by the very person they had once embraced as a daughter. What’s even more heartbreaking is the fate of Sam’s son, who was just seven years old when the murder happened. He now lives with Sofia’s sister in Australia, but his grandparents in Kerala continue to fight for custody.

The story of Sam Abraham isn’t just another murder case. It’s a haunting tale of how love, when poisoned by deceit and obsession, can lead to unimaginable consequences. It’s a reminder that evil can often wear the mask of normalcy, hiding in plain sight behind smiles and scripted words. For Sam’s loved ones, every moment now carries a shadow — the unshakable knowledge that the person they once called daughter and friend was capable of orchestrating such a tragedy.

From Kerala’s narrow bylanes to Melbourne’s city streets, this case has resonated deeply within the Indian diaspora. It raises questions about the human capacity for betrayal, the fragile nature of trust, and the lengths to which people will go for selfish love. The community that once came together to mourn Sam now looks back with horror at how easily they were deceived.

In the end, Sam’s story is not just about murder. It’s about the loss of innocence, the price of blind faith, and the emotional wreckage left behind by those who abuse love. It’s a story that warns us about the dangers of unchecked desires and how even the most sacred bonds — marriage, family, friendship — can be manipulated for dark ends.

While Sofia and Arun serve their prison sentences, one cannot help but wonder if the real punishment is yet to come — the lifelong weight of guilt, the loss of a child’s love, and the knowledge that their “dream” was built upon a man’s death. Justice, in this case, may have been served legally, but emotionally, the damage is permanent.

This tragedy, once hidden behind closed doors, now serves as a public cautionary tale. It teaches us that truth will find a way to surface, no matter how carefully it is buried. Sam Abraham’s memory lives on, not just in court records or media headlines, but in the hearts of those who still grieve him — those who hope that someday, his son will grow up to know the real story and remember his father not for how he died, but for the kind, devoted man he was.

✍️ Final Thoughts
Tragic, complex, and deeply human—that is the story of Sam Abraham. I hope this narrative serves both as a cautionary tale and a respectful remembrance of a life extinguished too soon, ensuring Sam’s voice isn’t forgotten.
If you’d like a version in Malayalam or translations to other languages, feel free to ask—I’d be honored to help.

A Love Marriage That Nobody Wanted:”The Chilling Story of Sam Abraham”

"The tragic murder of Sam Abraham in Australia unveils a chilling love triangle, betrayal, and justice in a real-life crime that shocked the Indian diaspora."

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