Thai man murders father & sister in shocking drowning tragedy

An unhinged Thai man confessed to murdering his father and younger sister by convincing them to lie in a metal box, locking them inside, and subsequently dumping them in a pond in the Isaan province of Sakon Nakhon.

Locals in the Phang Khon district of Sakon Nakhon spotted two suspicious metal boxes in Nong Lum Hin pond at 12.40am today, January 9, and reported the discovery to a rescue team and officers from the Phang Khon Police Station.

The rescuers retrieved the boxes from the pond and found that each box was locked and tied with thick chains. They cut off the chains and the lock and discovered two dead bodies. They were later identified as a 33 year old woman named Piangpen Datephumee and her 68 year old father named Prayat Datephumee.

Officers reported that Piangpen and Prayat were thrown into the water while they were still alive. The initial autopsy showed that they died from lack of oxygen.

Locals added that they saw a suspicious SUV parked near the pond on the evening of January 8. Some people living near the scene reported hearing the sounds of people arguing during the night before the boxes were discovered.

Information from locals led to the arrest of the suspected Thai man, 35 year old Warut Datephumee, who was Piangpen’s younger brother and Prayat’s son.

Murderer’s confession

Warut initially denied involvement in the deaths, providing confused information to the police. Consequently, he underwent a psychiatric evaluation, but the results indicated no problems, and he was also found to be drug-free. However, Warut had a history of neurodevelopmental disorders, though the officers did not clarify the details.

Following a prolonged interrogation, Warut eventually confessed to killing his father and sister. He made known that they constantly complained about his actions. Consumed by rage, he meticulously planned the murder, enticing them to travel with him before executing his plan.

According to Matichon, Warut ordered two metal boxes from a metal factory in the province. He told the factory workers that he wanted the boxes for his YouTube videos. Warut then lured his father and sister into the boxes by telling them they were new types of beds he invented.

Once they were in the boxes, Warut locked them inside, carried them to the pond and dumped them there.

Following his confession, Warut faces the death penalty, life imprisonment or imprisonment for 15 to 20 years under Section 288 of the Criminal Law: intentional murder.