DSI offer 2 million baht reward for info on historic murder case

Thailand’s Department of Special Investigation (DSI) is offering a reward of 2 million baht in a bid to encourage anyone with any potentially helpful information to aid in the resolution of a long-standing murder case. The murder victim, Tomoko Kawashita from Japan, was only 27 years old when her life was tragically cut short in Sukhothai Thain 17 years ago.

On November 25, 2007, Tomoko’s lifeless body was found within the grounds of the Sukhothai Historical Park. The piece of evidence suggesting foul play was the fatal wound on her throat, revealing a violent assault.

The investigation into her murder, however, reached a dead end and has remained stagnant over the years. This warranted the DSI to step in and assume control of the case from the local police in 2013, who had up until that point been unsuccessful in their attempts to identify potential suspects.

The victim’s distressed parents, Yasuaki and Eiko Kawashita, accompanied by officials from the Japanese Embassy, recently convened with Justice Minister Police Colonel Thawee Sodsong to discuss the unsolved case. The meeting was attended not only by representatives from the DSI but also other governmental entities.

The Kawashitas proposed an exemption from the statute of limitations, scheduled to expire in 2027, referencing the fact that in Japan, murder cases do not abide by such limitations.

In response, Pol. Col. Thawee committed to look into the feasibility of revising the laws to extend the statute of limitations for murder cases. He also reaffirmed that the victim’s family had duly received compensation as per Thai law. However, there are ongoing discussions concerning the prospect of additional compensation.

Despite the extensive DNA testing of 379 Thai men and the advancement in DNA technology in 2020 suggesting the suspect may not be of Thai origin, the case remains unresolved.

This situation underscores the importance of the reward, which the DSI hopes will spur individuals with any relevant information to come forward and aid in bringing justice for Tomoko Kawashita.