Local moneylender found murdered in his home

TUNG TONG: Police are investigating the brutal stabbing murder of an elderly businessman discovered in his Bangtong Village home in the early evening of May 22.

Tung Tong Police Investigating Inspector Pol Lt Col Passakorn Sontikul told the Gazette the bloody corpse of 62-year-old Kajorn “Ko Jorn” Somnam was discovered by his longtime live-in partner Wassana Chookaew, 51, at about 7 pm.

K. Wassana had just returned to the couples’ single-story home from a trip to visit relatives in another province when she made the gruesome discovery.

She told police she found the body of K. Kajorn lying face down in a pool of his own blood.

K. Wassana immediately notified police, who arrived at the scene at about 8:30 pm with volunteer rescue workers from the Kusoldharm Foundation and police forensic experts from the Royal Thai Police Forensic Science Area 44 Office, Lt Col Passakorn said.

The apparent cause of death was two stab wounds, one to the neck and one to the body.

Inside the home, numerous land title deeds and registration books for both cars and motorcycles were found scattered.

In his home the victim ran a moneylending operation in which such documents were used as collateral to obtain personal loans, Lt Col Passakorn said.

Among the physical evidence collected at the site were at least two separate sets of bloody footprints and fingerprints, indicating that the attack was carried out by at least two assailants, who exited through the bedroom window and jumped over a wall surrounding the house to make their escape.

The murder weapon was not found at the scene and no estimated time of death was reported.

Other evidence found in the bedroom included a woman’s brassiere and a used sanitary napkin.

K. Wassana told police the items did not belong to her.

Lt Col Passakorn told the Gazette that the investigation was continuing, with robbery and jealousy over a romantic affair both as possible motives.