Kathu man confesses to grisly murder of neighbor while drunk

KATHU: A Kathu man confessed to the shooting and stabbing to death of a neighbor on the morning of November 23.

Under questioning at Tung Tong police station, Wichian Choosri, 38, stated that he killed 39-year-old Nitti Limboot while in a drunken rage earlier that morning.

A neighbor of Mr Wichian reported the murder to the police, who arrived at the scene off Wichit Songkraam Rd Soi 4 in Tambon Kathu to find onlookers crowded around Mr Nitti’s body.

Partially decapitated and lying face-up, the victim had been shot in the head and had had his throat slashed.

He had also suffered deep lacerations to his legs and arms inflicted by a rubber tapping sickle. Around him were hundreds of rubber saplings, some splattered with blood.

An investigation of the area uncovered one .38 caliber bullet casing on the ground in front of a small, one-story wooden house located about 20 meters from where the body was found.

After Kusoldharm Foundation workers took the body to Patong Hospital, police continued their investigation at the scene.

As they did, Mr Wichian arrived with 42-year-old local resident Liam Thepkaew.

Still drunk and covered with bloodstains, Wichian confessed to killing Mr Nitti in a fit of drunken rage.

Under questioning at Tung Tong Police Station, he told officers while still clearly drunk that he had had a fight over politics with Mr Nitti a few weeks before.

When he saw Mr Nitti driving down the soi on his salaeng (motorbike with illegal sidecar attached) towards the main road, he stood in the middle of the soi to block his path.

He wanted to “clear the air” and settle their differences, he told police.

However, when Mr Nitti refused to talk to him he pulled out a .38 and fired, hitting the victim in the head.

Mr Wichian then went back to his house to get a sickle, which he used to sever the victim’s neck and slash his throat, arms and legs.

He then went to tell his neighbor Mr Liam what he had done, he said.

However, police noted discrepancies in his story and will investigate further. They think the failure to recover a .38 caliber weapon at the scene may mean that another person was involved.

Sources: Manager Online, Siangtai Daily, NBT