Slow going in Krabi murder probe

KRABI: Police have released one suspect held during investigations into the November 29 murder of German tourist Petra Sack, after it was found that the man, Santi “Neng” Sagnakul, was in Phang Nga at the time of the murder. Another man, Somchai “Ann” Samartjit, 22, is still being questioned, though police say they are now more inclined to believe that he was a witness to the murder, rather than a participant. The killing is being investigated by the Krabi Police, Crime Suppression Division (CSD) officers from Bangkok, and police from the Region 8 headquarters in Surat Thani. Pol Lt Col Vichasan Boonnarong, Deputy Superintendent of Krabi Police Station, told the Gazette that Somchai was arrested because he had been employed to paint a house near the crime scene, and had dropped out of sight for several days after the murder. However, after questioning, it seemed more likely, said Col Vichasan, that he was a witness. “He told us that from where he was sitting at the time, he saw everything that happened on November 28. “He said that he saw three men, two of them holding the victim while the third stabbed her. He said they ran away when they realized someone else was coming.” He added that there were other suspects in the case, but declined to say how many, or whether they were in custody. Investigators are hoping for additional clues from the victim’s diary, which has been sent to the CSD in Bangkok for translation, and from German police, who have been questioning the victim’s boyfriend and other people in Germany who knew her. “This case is more complicated [than the murder two months ago of tourist Cao Gu] because we believe that drugs may have been involved.” Meanwhile, said Col Vichasan, security at Ao Nang has been beefed up with additional police officers and beach guards paid for by local businesses and the local government.