Aldhouse extradition for Phuket murder ‘not decided’

PHUKET: Despite local reports to the contrary, the British Home Office today confirmed to the Phuket Gazette that no decision has been made regarding the extradition of murder suspect Lee Aldhouse, wanted in Thailand for the stabbing death of American Dashawn Longfellow last August.

Mr Longfellow died on August 14 last year after allegedly being stabbed multiple times by Aldhouse.

Aldhouse was able to evade an international manhunt before being arrested at Heathrow Airport on unrelated charges. He was then remanded into custody based on an extradition request by the Thai authorities.

A Home Office spokesperson told the Gazette in July that Aldhouse’s case was sent from Westminster Magistrates Court to the Home Secretary on June 30 “after the court found there were no statutory bars to his extradition.”

Today, the Home Office told the Gazette that UK Home Secretary Theresa May had so far made no decision on whether to order Aldhouse to be turned over to the Thai authorities.

However, the official said that such decisions were “ordinarily” made within two months of receiving the case.

— Nicholas Altstadt