Police on Koh Pha Ngan have arrested a Spanish tourist, who has confessed to murdering, then dismembering, the body of his partner. The victim is understood to be Edwin Arrieta Arteaga, a 44 year old doctor from Colombia.
The suspect has been named as 29 year old Daniel Sancho Bronchalo. He was arrested by police on Friday, August 4. Initially, according to a Nation Thailand report, Bronchalo told officers at Koh Pha Ngan Police Station that Arteaga had “disappeared”.
However, after hours of intense questioning, the suspect confessed to killing the victim and dismembering his body, dumping parts of it at a landfill site on the island and discarding the rest at sea.
Saranyu Chamnanrat, chief of Surat Thani Police, says Bronchalo confessed after being confronted with evidence. Officers say that at this point, the motive for the murder is not clear. The two had been together for over a year and it is believed the victim had bought a restaurant in Madrid for his younger partner.
It’s understood investigating officers found a garbage bag containing human remains at the island’s Municipal Solid Waste Disposal Centre on Thursday, August 3. The following day, more human remains were found, according to the Nation Thailand report.
Surachate Hakparn, deputy national police chief, says Bronchalo’s visa is being revoked and forensic officers are using the human remains to formally confirm the identity of the murder victim.
SOURCE: Nation Thailand
