Chonburi: Police have arrested a mother and her son for the murder of her new husband, following a confession that they strangled him and disposed of his body to conceal the crime. The motive, as revealed by the son, was anger towards his stepfather for abusing his mother.
According to Thai News Agency, the body of Mr. Wutthachai, aged 52, was discovered in a forest of acacia trees in Chonburi Province. The body was hidden under fertilizer sacks and plastic bags and had been deceased for at least three to four days. Mr. Wutthachai, a security guard from Rayong Province, was identified as the victim.
Police from Huai Yai Police Station began their investigation by questioning Ms. Rattikarn, the victim's wife. After extensive questioning that lasted over ten hours, she confessed to conspiring with her son, Mr. Worayut, to murder her husband. They strangled him with a hose in a vehicle and then disposed of the body.
Following her confession, an arrest warrant was issued by the Pattaya Provincial Court for premeditated murder and destruction of a corpse. Ms. Rattikarn was detained, and her son was apprehended at his home in Chonburi Province. A bronze-gold pickup truck used in the crime was also seized by the authorities.
Chonburi Forensic Police collected fingerprints and DNA evidence from the vehicle, which had been cleaned, but efforts were made to gather remaining evidence to support the prosecution of the suspects.
The investigation further revealed that on March 1, the mother and son picked up the victim, drove to Chanthaburi Province, and committed the murder. A reenactment of the crime was conducted but interrupted by the deceased's relatives, leading to a postponement until the following day.
Pol. Col. Thawatchakiat Jindakhuansong, Commander of Chonburi Provincial Police, stated that the son confessed to the crime out of sympathy for his mother, who had been abused by the victim. Additionally, a dispute over the sale of inherited land further fueled their anger, leading to the planned murder.
Relatives and the daughter of the deceased performed a ceremony at the scene to invite the spirit of Mr. Wutthachai back home, expressing their grief and loss.