UPDATE: Suspect in Swiss murder in Phuket is a “Thai man”

UPDATE TO OUR PREVIOUS ARTICLE

New details have just emerged in Thai media about the suspect detained today in the murder of the 57 year old Swiss traveller in Phuket found yesterday. The newly obtained information says the suspect is in fact a 27 year old Thai man, and not a 33 year old Burmese man as previously reported (in Thai Rath).

According to Matichon Online, the Thai man allegedly confessed to the murder. He is said to be a native of Phuket who lived nearby and was in the forest “gathering things”, possibly hunting for food, when he bumped into Nicole Sauvain-Weisskopf at the waterfall. The murder suspect claimed he was aroused and attempted to rape her, but she resisted and he strangled her and possibly held her head under the water until she died.

There also appears to be CCTV footage that captures the murder suspect riding his motorbike on the road leading to the waterfall where the Swiss woman’s body was found.

But Thai PBS is reporting…

“Police say there will be a press conference tomorrow about the murder of the Swiss tourist. They insist the suspect is not a scapegoat as he has already confessed.”

Their narrative may still be implying that the current suspect is Burmese, using the word ‘scapegoat’ to describe the man arrested.

The Thaiger will continue to update this story.

SOURCE: Matichon Online

ORIGINAL ARTICLE

Thai media have reported Phuket police have arrested a suspect in the murder of the Swiss tourist, 57 year old Nicole Sauvain-Weisskopf.

A police commander was speaking to the media and exclaimed “Good news” and told attending media that the case was “all wrapped up”. Police say they have arrested a 33 year old Burmese national. They claim they have CCTV footage with the suspect riding a motorcycle on the road close to the waterfall.

Police have also claimed that the man had a number of wounds on his body.

Thailand’s national police chief Suwat Jangyodsuk flew down to Phuket yesterday to lead the investigation into the case along with detectives from the Crime Suppression Division. The PM also put pressure on local police to “wrap up” the case quickly to avoid long and extensive attention to the case.