PUBLISHED : 8 Aug 2023 at 04:00
Surat Thani: Rescue workers and divers are still looking for body parts belonging to a Colombian plastic surgeon who was murdered and dismembered by his former boyfriend on Koh Phangan last week.
The search was spurred by the confession of the suspect, Daniel Sancho Bronchalo, 29, who admitted to dismembering the body of 44-year-old Edwin Arrieta Arteaga into 14 parts before dumping them around the island.
He told police that he had initially intended to dump the body parts in the sea, but he couldn’t fit them all into his duffel bag. As a result, he dumped parts that wouldn’t fit at a landfill on the island, where they were found by local rubbish collectors.
Police and rescue workers who combed the island’s shoreline on Sunday found six body parts which they suspect belonged to the deceased. The search for the remaining parts was continuing yesterday.
Meanwhile, Mr Sancho, who has been charged with premeditated murder, as well as concealing and/or removing body parts to cover up death or cause of death, was questioned further by the police yesterday.
According to police, Mr Sancho first met the victim on Instagram, and they had been in a relationship for more than one year. Mr Sancho said that he had been trying to break up with the victim, who threatened to release photos that would upset his family.
Mr Sancho told police that he was going to break up with the victim when he visited the island, but the victim instead demanded sex, which made him angry and hit the victim in the head.
Mr Sancho was taken to Koh Phangan police station on Friday for questioning over the disappearance of the surgeon. He initially denied any involvement but later admitted to killing him following intense questioning by the police.
According to police, the suspect is a well-known chef in Spain and the son of the Spanish actor Rodolfo Sancho Aguirre and actress Silvia Bronchalo.
It is reported that the suspect’s family is scheduled to arrive on Koh Samui tomorrow.
Meanwhile, the victim ran a successful plastic surgery clinic in Monteria, Colombia.