Three confess to Ao Nang murder – police

KRABI: Police have arrested three construction workers from Amphur Chaoud, Nakhon Sri Thammarat, who, they say, have confessed to stabbing 33-year-old German tourist Petra Sack on Ao Nang Beach on November 28 at Ao Nang. Miss Sack died four hours after the stabbing. Two of the three were arrested on Sunday. One, a 16-year-old, was found in Songkhla, where he was hiding in his aunt’s house, while Suchart “Touam” Songnak, 19, was found in his family’s home in Amphur Chaoud. The third, 18-year-old Mana “Kiet” Muangin, was arrested yesterday morning after relatives helped police locate him in Samut Prakhan. All three were working on the construction of the Pouangkram Plaza in Ao Nang and were living in a nearby construction camp. They told police they would often walk on the beach after work. Pol Lt Col Vichasan Boonnarong, Deputy Superintendent of Krabi Police Station, told the Gazette that all three confessed to having a hand in the murder, with Suchart wielding the knife. They told the police that they intended only to rob Ms Sack, but when she struggled and shouted for help, and they heard someone coming, Suchart stabbed her and the trio ran away empty-handed. “Suchart said he lost the hand-made knife used in the attack while running away. All three denied taking any money, because there was no time to do so,” Col Vichasan added. A co-worker questioned by police told them that Suchart came running back to the workers’ camp that evening and borrowed money, saying that he had to go home because the police were going to arrest him. The witness added that all three were missing from work the following day. Police took the accused to Ao Nang Beach today to re-enact the crime. The three were charged with murder and conspiracy to commit robbery. “They will not receive bail, and we expect the court to sentence them to life imprisonment,” Col Vichasan added. Under Thai law, premeditated murder carries the death sentence but it is normal for courts to commute this to life imprisonment in the case of guilty pleas. This was the case in the murder of another German woman tourist, Cao Ghu, two months ago. Her killer, Kasem ‘Maew’ Dumdee, also confessed and was imprisoned for life. Meanwhile, Ms Sack’s diary, found in her room after her murder, is still being examined by the Narcotics Bureau in Bangkok.