Drug addict father arrested for killing his 3 year old daughter

A drug addict father was arrested yesterday at a petrol station in Chon Buri after he allegedly murdered his 3 year old daughter in the central province of Nakhon Sawan. The junky denied the charge and blamed a ghost for the murder.

Officers from Lat Yao Police Station were notified of the child’s death, later identified as Nareenan Pananon, at 5am on Tuesday, January 3. The girl died on a cassava plantation. She did not have any wounds but her mouth was stuffed full of dirt.

Police met the girl’s grandmother, Anongnart Pananon, at the scene. The 55 year old told officers that her son, the girl’s father, 27 year old Ronnachai Pananon, was the murderer.

Anongnart told police that she looked after her granddaughter and never let her out of her sight. But, early in the morning of the fatal day, her drug addict son came to her room while she was asleep with her.

Ronnnachai asked his mother to check the bathroom saying that a water pipe was broken.

Anongnart left her niece on the bed to check the bathroom but found nothing broken. She realised immediately that she had been deceived and rushed back to check on her granddaughter but her father had snatched the girl.

Anongnart chased after her son but tripped and fell because it was dark. She asked neighbours to help search for the child. They found her but it was late. She was dead. Ronnachai then rode off on his motorcycle.

Anongnart told police her son took drugs and was a heavy drinker of alcohol and urged officers to find him.

Thairath reported that Ronnachai was no longer with the mother of his child, that they were divorced and he had a new girlfriend in Chon Buri.

Ronnachai fled from Nakhon Sawan to Chon Buri on his motorcycle. He stopped at a petrol station and went to the bathroom. A customer recognised his face from a picture on the news and notified the police. Police arrived just in time and arrested Ronnachai while he was about to leave.

He denied killing his daughter. He said he went to the cassava plantation after hearing strange sounds and found his daughter there. He was about to bring her home but an old female ghost scared him and he ran, leaving his daughter there.

Ronnachai said he decided to go to his girlfriend’s house in Chon Buri after learning that the girl had died.

Ronnachai was charged with violating Section 288 of the Criminal Law: whoever intentionally kills another person shall be punished with the death penalty, life imprisonment, or imprisonment from 15 to 20 years old.

Ronnachai’s mother and the killer’s family said they would never forgive him for what he did to the girl.