Investigation into Possible Links Between Murders
Thai police are examining whether an Australian man charged with the murder of a 17-year-old girl might be connected to two other unsolved cases in the same region.
Police colonel Anek Srathongyoo, superintendent of Pattaya City police station, informed on Tuesday that although no evidence currently links Simon Peter Carman to the other cases in neighbouring areas, authorities are investigating due to similarities observed between the incidents.
Carman, 45, was charged in relation to the death of Thunchanok Donhomla, whose body was discovered inside a suitcase near railway tracks in Pattaya, located on Thailand’s eastern Gulf coast, during the early hours of Saturday. Police reported that Donhomla’s personal belongings were found within the suitcase as well.
CCTV Evidence and Timeline
CCTV footage reviewed by and verified by police allegedly shows Donhomla holding hands with Carman in the lobby of a condominium he rented in the Jomtien Beach suburb during the early hours of Thursday morning.
Later that day, footage captured Carman leaving the condo to purchase food, but Donhomla was not seen leaving the premises, according to Srathongyoo.
Subsequent CCTV footage showed Carman departing the condo carrying a large suitcase, which he transported on a motorbike. He later returned to the condo without the suitcase, Srathongyoo added.
Similarities with Other Unsolved Cases
Srathongyoo noted that the two unsolved cases from the past two years also involved women whose bodies were found inside suitcases. However, those cases have been more challenging to resolve due to the extended time between the victims’ deaths and the discovery of their bodies.
The victims in these unsolved cases are believed to have been women working in the region’s adult industry.
The bodies were found in Huay Yai district, within the same province as Pattaya, and Ban Chang district in the neighbouring province, Srathongyoo stated.
He is collaborating with police officers in those districts to investigate, as those cases occurred outside his jurisdiction.
Background on the Suspect
Carman had rented a condominium for one year in Jomtien Beach, Srathongyoo said.
Carman entered Thailand on a tourist visa in December and subsequently extended it.
There is no record of Carman overstaying his visa or having a criminal record in Thailand, according to Srathongyoo.
Arrest and Confession
Carman was arrested on Friday at Suvarnabhumi airport in Bangkok while attempting to leave the country. Initially, he told police that Donhomla had left the condo while he was asleep.
"When officers told him they had found the luggage, Carman said he had killed her after an argument," police alleged.
Cause of Death and Victim’s Background
The medical doctor who examined Donhomla’s body reported no signs of physical assault, indicating that she likely died from suffocation, Srathongyoo said.
Donhomla, nicknamed Cake, was from Kalasin province in north-eastern Thailand and had only arrived in Pattaya a week prior to visit a friend.
She was on the beach at Jomtien with two other friends when she met Carman, Srathongyoo explained.
Police are investigating whether one of the friends accompanying Donhomla was involved in the sex industry, Srathongyoo added.
The friend, who was from the same village as Donhomla, recorded a video of Donhomla walking down the promenade holding hands with Carman, Srathongyoo said.
Donhomla’s family has taken her body back to Kalasin, he confirmed.
