Australian Man Charged With Murder After Thai Teen Found Dead in Suitcase

Police say suspect was arrested at Bangkok airport while attempting to leave the country

BANGKOK, July 1 An Australian man has been arrested and charged with murder after the body of a 17 year old Thai girl was found inside a suitcase in the resort city of Pattaya, according to Thai police.

The suspect, identified as Simon Peter Carman, a man in his 40s, was arrested at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport early Saturday as he allegedly attempted to board a flight back to Australia.

Thai police have charged Carman with murder, concealment of a body, moving or destroying a body, and taking a minor for sexual purposes.

Investigators said CCTV footage showed Carman entering a condominium with the teenager before leaving alone several hours later carrying a large suitcase.

Police allege that the suspect loaded the suitcase onto a motorcycle and transported it to a grassy area near a railway line, where the girl’s body was later discovered. An arrest warrant was subsequently issued, leading to his detention at the airport before he could leave the country.

While being questioned at a police station before his transfer to the Pattaya Provincial Court, Carman addressed the victim’s family.

“I feel bad for what happened to your daughter. It was out of my control,” he said.

The victim’s father, Thongchai Donhomla, said he was devastated by the loss of his daughter.

“I am deeply saddened. My daughter had no mother, so whenever she wanted anything, she would find a way herself, and she always helped me too,” he said.

The teenager’s stepmother, Oradee Bussarakum, called for the strongest possible punishment if the suspect is convicted.

“I told the police I want him executed. As a stepmother, I don’t know what else to say. I just want him to face the full consequences,” she said.

Thai authorities have not announced when Carman will make his first court appearance. The investigation into the teenager’s death remains ongoing.

Source: CNN.