Khon Kaen: Two suspects wanted by the police in connection with the grisly murder of a 22-year-old karaoke bar worker have been arrested, police said Tuesday.
The first arrest was of Wasin Namprom, 25, who was detained in Laos Tuesday.
It was followed by the arrest of Jidarat Promkhun, 21, who was nabbed in Ubon Ratchathani.
Two other suspects in the case are Preeyanuch Nonwangchai, 24, and Kawita Ratchada, 25. They are all accused of premeditated murder and concealing a body.
Mr Wasin, who was detained on Tuesday by a combined team of Thai and Lao officials at a guesthouse in the neighbouring country, confessed to witnessing the murder of Warisara "Am" Klinjui, 22, according to an unnamed police officer who is part of the team that arrested Mr Wasin.
But Mr Wasin insisted he did not kill her.
Warisara's dismembered body was found in Khon Kaen's Khao Suan Kwang district last week.
Mr Wasin told authorities that Ms Preeyanuch, also known as Preaw and Gift, throttled Warisara, covered her head with a plastic bag and beat her to death after the victim was abducted in a rented Honda CRV car, said the police source.
Mr Wasin said he drove the car for Ms Preeyanuch.
After Warisara was killed they disposed of the body in a plot of land owned by Ms Preeyanuch in Khao Suan Kwang district, said the officer.
The officer said the suspect revealed Ms Preeyanuch held a grudge against Warisara as she believed the victim had divulged information to police which led to the arrest of Ms Preeyanuch's husband in a drug case.
He said they stopped to buy a saw at a hardware shop on the way to dispose of the body.
Pol Col Phakphum Phisamai, chief of Khao Suan Kwang police station, meanwhile, said Ms Preeyanuch's older sister, Praphasiri Somsri, 34, told police investigators on Monday that Ms Preeyanuch told her she had murdered Warisara.
Ms Preeyanuch's sister was quoted as telling police investigators that Ms Preeyanuch had confessed the crime to her on the phone.
According to the sister's statement, Ms Preeyanuch and the other three suspects lured Warisara out of a bar and forced her into a Honda CRV where Ms Preeyanuch beat the victim until she lost consciousness.
When the victim regained consciousness, she yelled at Ms Preeyanuch saying that if she survived, she would kill Ms Preeyanuch, the sister said.
That only angered Ms Preeyanuch more and in a fit of rage, she began beating the victim again and strangled her to death, according to Ms Praphasiri's statement.
She added Ms Preeyanuch later told her she dismembered the victim's body on her own at a resort in Ban Nonthan in Muang district.
Pol Col Phakphum also said the Honda CRV used in the abduction was seized from a car rental company in Khon Kaen on Monday night for examination, along with the car rental documents.
Forensic police were collecting evidence including fingerprints, blood, hair and DNA samples from the seized car, he said.