Arrest made for the 14 year old murder of pregnant girl

An arrest was finally made for the murder of a pregnant girl that happened 14 years ago. This case has been cold since the murder was committed in 2007, and the fugitive has been on the run ever since. But yesterday the suspect was finally tracked down and arrested in the remote Northeastern Loei province.

Police from the Crime Suppression Division arrested 65-year old Surachart Khonkhaeng for the murder of a 14 year old girl that happened over a decade ago. A warrant with his name had been issued by the Talingchan Court in Bangkok on June 21, 2007.

Central Investigation Bureau commissioner Police Lt. General Jirapop Puridet explained that the suspect allegedly had a sexual relationship with this young girl for a period of 6 or 7 months back in 2006-2007. The girl was the niece of Surachart’s wife, but she had no knowledge of her husband’s affair.

Surachart learned that the girl was pregnant when she returned to visit her parents in Bangkok during a holiday from school. It was during this time that the suspect supposedly traveled from Nong Khai to Bangkok to kill the girl. The police believe that Surachart was concerned that the girl would expose their relationship to her parents, who would then possibly press charges against the older man.

In Bangkok, Surachart gave the girl a box of milk that allegedly was laced with pesticides. After drinking the milk, the girl began having stomach pains, and eventually died. The girl’s body was later discovered wrapped in a cloth at a waste dump in the Nong Khaem district. An autopsy revealed that the girl had toxic chemicals in her body, and also that she was 6 months pregnant.

Investigators said that Surachart was the last known person to be in contact with the girl before her death. After witnesses reported seeing his vehicle near where the body was discovered, Nom Khaeng police believed that they had enough evidence to make an arrest, and were given a warrant from the court. But Surachart went on the run, and was not heard from for 14 years, until finally yesterday he was arrested.

Police reported that Surachart admitted to having had a sexual relationship with the girl, but he denied poisoning her.

SOURCE: Bangkok Post