41-year-old Chilean man Rennie Patricio Goodmen Barahona was murdered by a deranged 34-year-old Spaniard, Carlos Alkanis Morales, early on Saturday morning after he was awoken from bed with his 31-year-old Chinese girlfriend to investigate banging on the door of their home on Ko Phangan. Police have charged the European with premeditated murder.
34-year-old Spaniard, Carlos Alkanis Morales, has been charged by Thai police on Ko Phangan, in Thailand’s southern province of Surat Thani, with the brutal murder of a Chilean national whom he targeted at home early on Saturday morning. The victim was awoken by the Spanish man at the door. As he went to enquire without clothes, he was confronted by the deranged man who entered his home and knifed him to death.
Police on Ko Phangan in Surat Thani province are investigating a mindless and brutal murder which occurred in the early hours of Saturday morning.
The victim was a 41-year-old Chilean man named by police as Rennie Patricio Goodmen Barahona.
Murdered man found lying in his kitchen by police and an emergency task force alerted at 12.30 am
The man was found by police and an emergency response team at a rented house on the island which he shared with his 31-year-old Chinese girlfriend, Ms Zhang Sanyu.
Lieutenant Colonel Suthep Chadaakan, the Deputy Inspector of Investigations at Ko Phangan police station received a report about a foreigner being killed on the island at 12.30 am on Saturday morning.
He immediately notified the Ko Phangan Sheriff, Mr Poolsak Sophonprathumrak and the Director of Ko Phangan police, Colonel Phisit Wisetwong.
Hospital doctor and rescue services also attended
The investigating police officer went to the scene of the crime accompanied by Police Lieutenant Colonel Somsak Nurod and Police Lieutenant Colonel Thanawat Sukkata.
They were joined there by senior officers from the Immigration Bureau, a doctor from Ko Phangan Hospital and rescue workers.
Police secured the crime scene
Lieutenant Colonel Suthep said when he arrived at the property, he was presented with a horrific scene.
The Chilean national was lying on his back naked in the kitchen area of the home. He had been stabbed many times in the torso and a knife was left stuck in his body in the lower left chest area.
Police immediately sealed off the scene as it was clear that a serious crime had been committed.
31-year-old Chinese girlfriend of the victim, in a traumatised state, explained to police what happened
The Chilean victim’s traumatised 31-year-old Chinese girlfriend, Ms Zhang, said that the couple had retired for the night when they were awoken by a loud knock on the door.
Her boyfriend arose to investigate the disturbance.
However, before he could open the door, the assailant, a Spanish man, named by police as Mr Carlos Alkanis Morales had entered the house brandishing a knife.
The Chilean had no time to respond before he was set upon and murdered by the wild attacker.
Spaniard fled on a stolen motorbike
The Spaniard then fled from the home and stole a motorbike parked nearby belonging to one of the villagers.
He was later apprehended by police at 5 am in the morning after a patrol car gave chase to the villain causing the motorbike to lose its balance and tumble into a ditch.
He was taken to Ko Phangan police station.
Chilean had entered Thailand on February 20th last from Myanmar at the Friendship Bridge in Chiang Mai
Police officers investigating the bizarre crime have revealed that Mr Barahona, the Chilean victim, entered Thailand on the 20th of February last, at the Thai Friendships Bridge with Myanmar at Mae Sot in Tak province.
He later went south to Surat Thani from Chiang Mai and rented the property where he was murdered.
Killer Spaniard is already known to local police
The police have also disclosed that the 34-year-old Spaniard, Mr Carlos, was known to them and had previously been involved in the theft of motorbikes.
After being pulled from the ditch on the side of the road on Saturday and taken to Ko Phangan police station, the suspected murderer initially appeared confused and denied being aware of the heinous crime he had perpetrated.
Charged with premeditated murder
At one point, he suggested to police that he thought people were trying to kill him.
Authorities have charged Mr Carlos Morales with premeditated murder, possession of a weapon in public and the theft of a motorbike, his fourth incidence of this crime according to police records.
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