PUBLISHED : 6 Aug 2023 at 04:00
SURAT THANI: A Spanish chef has admitted to killing his Colombian lover and dismembering the body before dumping the pieces in a landfill on Koh Phangan and in the sea, police say.
Sancho: Initially denied the charges
Daniel Sancho Bronchalo, 29, was taken to Koh Phangan police station on Friday for questioning over the disappearance of Edwin Arrieta Arteaga, 44, a Colombian national, according to a source familiar with the investigation.
The suspect initially denied any involvement but later admitted to the act following intense questioning by police yesterday, the source said.
The suspect is a well-known chef in his home country, police said, adding he has a YouTube channel. Meanwhile, the victim operated a successful plastic surgery clinic in Monteria, Colombia.
Police found more evidence of human traces during a search of a hotel room believed to be the scene where the killing took place, Pol Lt Gen Surapong Thanomjit, commissioner of Provincial Police Region 8, said yesterday.
Forensic officers collected samples of hair, fat and tissue from the room’s drain pipes and sent them for testing in Yala, Pol Lt Gen Surapong said, adding the results are expected today.
A police examination of security videos from various sites on the island linked Mr Sancho to the case, the commander said. The Spaniard was the last person seen with the victim, he said, adding officers gathered evidence before seeking a warrant to arrest the suspect.
Relatives of the victim told investigators that he had been in a relationship with Mr Sancho for more than one year. “We do not yet know the motive for the murder. We initially believe it might stem from a fit of jealousy,” said Pol Lt Gen Surapong.