American murdered in Phuket; Police hunt “killer Brit’

RAWAI: An American man was found stabbed to death in his hotel room near Ya Nui Beach and a search has been launched for the prime suspect, a British Muay Thai boxing student named, so far, only as “Mr Lee”.

Chalong police received a report at 6am today that an American “tourist” had been murdered in his room at an unspecified resort on Ya Nui Soi 2.

At the scene, police found blood stains leading from the front door into the room where the body of Dashawn Longfellow, 23, was found lying on the floor with two stab wounds in the left side of his chest. He was wearing a blue T-shirt and shorts.

Police said a couple of hours earlier this morning, Mr Longfellow was involved in an altercation with Mr Lee, who had been studying Muay Thai at a different training camp.

According to police, Mr Longfellow had driven his motorbike to the Freedom Bar in Rawai to pick up his girlfriend.

While he was waiting for her, he went to the restroom where he encountered Mr Lee, who blocked his entrance to the toilet. This led to a fight between the two boxers, which was broken up by bar patrons and staff.

Police said that after the fight Mr Longfellow took his girlfriend to her home and went back to a shop near the bar before returning to his room. From there, Mr Lee followed the victim back to his resort in Ya Nui where another fight broke out between the two.

It is then, police allege, that Mr Lee stabbed Mr Longfellow in front of his room.

Mr Lee then fled the scene on a motorbike. Police did not give any further details regarding the motorbike.

Mr Longfellow’s body has been taken to Vachira Phuket Hospital for an autopsy.