Krabi police hunt suspect after missing plantation owner found dead
An investigation into a murder is underway after a 70 year old palm plantation owner, who went missing on April 30, was found dead in a roadside forest in Krabi province yesterday, May 4.
Khao Panom district, with the suspect still at large. The body was discovered in an area of Khlong Phraya Wildlife Sanctuary, about 300 metres from the main road.
Locals found the body of an unidentified man in the roadside forest, part of the Klong Phaya Wildlife Sanctuary, yesterday and alerted police. The body was found about 300 metres from the main road and is reported to be dismembered.
Reports indicated the man was restrained, with his legs and neck tied using shirts, and had suffered a severe head injury believed to have been caused by a hard object.
Family members later arrived at the scene and identified the victim as Sompong, a plantation owner and temple undertaker, based on a tattoo on his left ankle.
According to relatives, the deceased had been missing on the night of April 30 after selling palm produce and receiving between 30,000 and 50,000 baht. His sidecar motorcycle was also missing.
Concern grew when relatives visited his home and found belongings scattered and bloodstains present. They later went to inspect the discovered body and confirmed it was Sompong.
Relatives suspect a former employee, aged around 35, who had recently moved from Waeng district in Narathiwat to work for Sompong. They believed the man had robbed and killed Sompong after learning about the profits made from the produce sale.
They said the man had asked Sompong for money and was given 500 baht before being dismissed after Sompong discovered he was using methamphetamine.
Officers later found the sidecar motorcycle abandoned 30 kilometres away from the scene where the body was found. Police reviewed security cameras along the route and identified Sompong’s employee travelling with an unidentified man.
They tracked Sompong’s mobile phone signal, which was last detected in Narathiwat province. Officers are continuing their investigation and working to locate the suspect, as well as identifying the other man who may have been involved in the murder.
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