BUENG KAN – Two Belgian men who lived in Bueng Kan Province, northeastern Thailand, had a dispute between them. One, who claimed he had been extorted by his friend, finally killed him. He had tried to hide the body by burning it but failed.
On May 26, Seka Police Station in Bueng Kan Province questioned Mr. Steve, a 42-year-old Belgian man residing with his Thai wife in Moo 9, Sang Subdistrict, Seka District. He was arrested on May 25 by police officers from Police Region 4 and charged with “intentional murder, possession of firearms, and ammunition without permission.
The Belgian man confessed to using a .22 caliber firearm to shoot and kill Mr. Christophe, a 49-year-old fellow Belgian, at a house without an address number in Moo 10, Seka Tai Subdistrict, near the Kasa Reservoir. He then dragged the body and dumped it in an old pit just 50 meters from the house, and burned two car tires to conceal the corpse.
Seka Police Station then notified the Bueng Kan Forensic Police, Seka Hospital doctors, and the Theparak Seka Rescue Association to assist in finding evidence and witnesses in this case. Upon arriving at the site where the body was burned, they found flames and smoke still rising from the old 2-meter deep pit. The officers extinguished the fire and used equipment to scoop out human bone fragments and ashes, which they then sifted through for evidence.
Mr. Steve stated that the deceased, Mr. Christophe, often asked him for money regularly. On the day of the incident, near the evening of May 24, he refused to give 850,000 baht to Mr. Christophe, who allegedly threatened to harm his family and burn down his house.
The suspect said that he had heard these threats many times, which caused him and his family to feel stressed. His children couldn’t even go to school because they were afraid of being harmed by the deceased. In anger, he used a .22 caliber handgun to shoot Mr. Christophe 3 times until he collapsed and died on the spot.
Afterwards, he drove the victim’s motorcycle-carrying truck and dumped it over 60 kilometers across the provincial border. However, the Police Region 4 investigation team, who were there to apprehend drug suspects, found his behavior suspicious and approached him for questioning. In a panic, he tried to flee in the vehicle but was intercepted and arrested. He was then taken for interrogation.
Later, he led the interrogating officers to inspect the crime scene and pointed out where the firearm used in the crime was hidden. The police seized 1 handgun, 1 ammunition pouch, 6 bullets, and 3 shell casings as evidence.
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