Chiang Rai: Police in Chiang Rai have arrested a 35-year-old man, Mr. Chamnan, for the murder of his 2-year-old stepdaughter, whose body he dumped in the water to conceal the crime. The arrest unfolded after Mr. Chamnan attempted to mislead authorities by reporting the child as missing to the village public relations office.
According to Thai News Agency, officers from Mae Fah Luang Police Station took Mr. Chamnan to his residence in Mae Salong Subdistrict, Mae Fah Luang District, to identify the crime scene and reenact events as part of his confession. The investigation revealed that on May 10, authorities were informed of the child’s disappearance. Suspicion grew when Mr. Chamnan fled the scene during the initial investigation.
The child’s mother, Mrs. Namu, contradicted Mr. Chamnan’s claim of ignorance regarding the child’s disappearance. She testified that Mr. Chamnan, known for abusing the child, had taken her away on the night of May 8, 2015. A subsequent drug test revealed the presence of methamphetamine and morphine in Mr. Chamnan’s system, leading to charges for the use of Category 1 narcotics.
Mr. Chamnan later confessed to the heinous crime, admitting that on May 8, at approximately 10:00 p.m., he violently assaulted the child, resulting in her death. He then disposed of her body by placing it in a sack, transporting it on a motorcycle, and discarding it into the Kham River from a bridge located about five kilometers from their home.
Police efforts to locate the body were successful, finding it 500 meters downstream from where it had been discarded. Consequently, Mr. Chamnan faces additional charges of murder and concealing the death.
Ms. Nattaya, assistant village headman, disclosed that Mr. Chamnan initially sought help from the village public relations to search for the child, despite knowing she could not have wandered off due to an injured leg. The child’s mother filed a missing person report, while Mr. Chamnan attempted to escape to Mae Sai District. His sister eventually persuaded him to surrender.
It was reported that prior to the incident, both Mr. Chamnan and the child’s mother had consumed drugs, resulting in the child’s removal from their bedroom. Her cries seemingly provoked Mr. Chamnan, leading to the tragic sequence of events.