why did cassetti kill daisy

In Murder on the Orient Express , Cassetti kills Daisy Armstrong because she is a wealthy kidnapping victim whose death removes the main witness and protects his criminal gang after they have already collected ransom money.

Story context

In Agatha Christie’s story, Cassetti operates as a gangster who kidnaps three‑year‑old Daisy Armstrong, daughter of a very rich and prominent family. He demands an enormous ransom, which the Armstrongs pay in hopes of getting their child back.

Why he targeted Daisy

• Daisy comes from an extremely rich and famous family, so kidnapping her promises a huge payout in ransom.

• The Armstrong name also guarantees intense publicity, which a ruthless criminal like Cassetti is willing to risk for a large sum of money.

Why he killed her

• Daisy’s body is later found dead, and evidence shows she was killed before the ransom was even collected, meaning Cassetti never intended to return her.

• The book never gives a fully explicit psychological explanation, but most critical discussions say he killed her either because the authorities were closing in or because eliminating the child removed a witness and complication once he had set the ransom scheme in motion.

Aftermath in the plot

• Daisy’s murder destroys the Armstrong family, leading to her mother’s death, her father’s suicide, and the ruin of several lives connected to them.

• Years later, the group of people whose lives were shattered arrange to murder Cassetti on the Orient Express as an act of revenge, which is the central crime Poirot investigates.

TL;DR: Cassetti kidnaps Daisy Armstrong for ransom because her rich family can pay a huge sum, then kills her—likely to protect himself and his gang once the crime is underway—even though the story never spells out a single, definitive motive for the murder beyond his greed and ruthlessness.

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