Family ties turn deadly: Drug addict arrested for murdering sister-in-law in Chon Buri

Police in Chon Buri arrested a drug addict after he murdered his sister-in-law. The suspect claimed that he was angry because the victim accused him of spreading Covid-19 which led to the death of a neighbour.

Officers from Baan Bueng Police Station were alerted to the shooting at a grocery shop on Nong Prue Kao-Baan Hua Kun Jae Road on Saturday, April 29. Upon investigating the scene, officers discovered the shop owner seriously injured with a gunshot wound to her neck. The 56 year old injured woman named Wiriya Jirawat was sent to a hospital but later died from the injuries.

Wiriya’s daughter, 22 year old Donlaya, told officers that she spotted a vehicle parked near her mother’s shop on the night before the incident. Then, she saw the same vehicle parked about 10 metres away from the shop on the incident day before hearing the sound of gunfire.

The victim’s son, 34 year old Pisut Samruay, said he was taking a shower inside the house when he heard the gunshot. He rushed out to discover his mother lying in a pool of blood. Pisut stated that his mother was friendly and always assisted her neighbours and that she had never had any conflicts with anyone.

Officers checked the shop’s CCTV cameras and managed to identify the murderer as 38 year old Teerapong Sawatsolawong, the brother of Wiriya’s husband named Sophon Sawatsolawong.

CCTV footage showed the drug addict parking his vehicle near the shop, getting out, and going straight to Wiriya’s shop. He approached her and then shot her. Teerapong aimed to shoot Wiriya again when she fell to the floor but the cartridge was a blank. The drug addict then fled the scene in his trailer.

Officers managed to locate Teerapong hiding in a forest near Chanta Waree Meditation Centre in the province. They apprehended him and seized his 11mm Taurus pistol. Teerapong admitted to the murder, notifying investigating police officers that the victim always complained about him being a drug addict and his unruly behaviour.

Teerapong added that he murdered the woman because she said he was spreading Covid.

Teerapong was charged with Section 289 of the Criminal Law: intentional murder. The penalty could be life imprisonment or imprisonment for 15 to 20 years.

He was also charged with carrying weapons in public places without a permit according to Section 8 of the Act on Firearms, Ammunition, Explosives, Fireworks, and Imitation Firearms. The punishment is imprisonment for up to five years, a fine of up to 10,000 baht, or both.