Hours after the murder investigation commenced on Tuesday morning when the body was removed from the scene for an autopsy and the husband of the victim was questioned by officers, the superintendent of Klaeng Police Station indicated that police were still collecting evidence and that CCTV footage could be extremely significant as part of the process in identifying those responsible for the murder of the woman.
Police in Rayong have launched a murder investigation after a body was found on Tuesday morning in the Klaeng district of the province of a young woman whose 22-year-old husband, according to his testimony, engaged in a video chat with her on Monday evening before arriving home on Tuesday morning from working in the South to find her body had been discovered by locals lying face down in a local pond.
Police in Rayong have opened a murder investigation after the body of a 19 year old woman was found in a local pond in the Klaeng district of the province on Tuesday morning in a place known as Nong Waen Farm.
Police at Klaeng Police Station were called in by villagers of Waen Village who, early on Tuesday morning, observed the body of the woman lying face down in the pond.
Police respond to an urgent summons from locals after a body was seen floating face down at local pond
An investigation team led by Police Lieutenant Colonel Supot Boonsuan responded to the alert at 9.30 am together with a local volunteer rescue force.
The body of the woman was retrieved from the pool and police later identified her as Ms Kritsana Saeng-arun who lived approximately 3 kilometres from the scene.
Police initially suspected the woman was the victim of a rape and murder as the body was found with a green rope tied around her neck and signs of injury on the neck area.
Body in good condition although the woman’s panties were missing with her clothes put on back to front
Police also revealed that the woman’s panties were missing and that the grey pants she was wearing appeared to have been put on back to front. Ms Kritsana was wearing a yellow shirt when she was found.
Investigators initially estimated that the woman, with light skin and long black hair whose body appeared to be in a good condition, had been dead for approximately three days and identified several distinctive star tattoos on both her legs.
Ms Kritsana’s body was removed to Klaeng Hospital where an autopsy will be conducted as part of the murder investigation into her death.
A pair of kicking shoes belonging to the woman was also found nearby.
Police investigators noted that the area near the pond on 150 rai, is quite popular with younger people and teenagers for meetings and spending time together.
22-year-old husband called in for questioning, told police officers his wife was 4 to 5 months pregnant
Investigators quickly called in her 22-year-old husband, Mr Peerapong Piakantha, for an interview as a matter of routine.
He told investigating officers that he had been married to the young woman for two years and his wife was 4 to 5 months pregnant with his child.
He said her death on Tuesday was also like losing a child for him.
He told officers that Ms Kritsana, who was unemployed, had lived nearby at his family home with his mother while he was away working in the South of the country.
He explained that he had just returned to the district on Tuesday morning with his brother to find out about the death of his wife.
Spent time and slept over at a friend’s house before returning to his mother’s home in the afternoons
Mr Peerapong revealed that the young woman was in the habit of spending some nights with a friend of hers and would return to his mother’s house in the afternoon on the next day.
He also told police that his wife was formerly a worker in a karaoke bar before giving up that lifestyle when she married him.
Significantly, he told them that he had spoken to his wife on the night of the 12th of September, this Monday night, the night before her body was found, via video chat on his mobile device.
He said that his wife appeared happy and there was no indication of any trouble to do with her.
Informed police that his wife had been picked up in the early hours of Tuesday morning by a Cambodian man known to her before he returned from the South
However, he informed investigators, that it had been made known to him that at 4 am on Tuesday a Cambodian man, known to his wife, had picked her up in the village and he suspected that this man had some link to his wife’s murder.
Police, later, on Tuesday, at a briefing given by Police Colonel Pratipat Phumilee, the Superintendent of Klaeng Police Station, revealed that they initially believe that the young woman was strangled and at this stage in their investigation, they are focused on collecting evidence before they proceed to an evaluation stage or arrive at key conclusions.
They indicated a key facet of the investigation right now will be examining CCTL footage of the area and the roads to collect vital evidence to do with this case.
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