SA KAEO — The Supreme Court’s final verdict in a 12-year-old murder case has not only brought justice to a slain 19-year-old woman but also revealed serious gaps in Thailand’s missing persons system and ongoing concerns about violence against women.
The prosecution and punishment of perpetrators of violence against women is crucial in combating the ongoing violence in society, both in major cases and everyday incidents.
On October 31, at Sa Kaeo Provincial Supreme Court in Tha Kasem subdistrict, Mueang district, Sa Kaeo province, the court read its verdict in the case of Ms. Mayuree Yodpanao, or “Liu,” a 19-year-old factory worker who disappeared and was later found murdered by a school director who was 47 years old at the time.
Liu disappeared on May 5, 2012, after going to work at Industrial Estate 304 in Sri Mahaphot district, Prachinburi province. She had parked her motorcycle at a retail store near the industrial estate. Someone later sent an SMS to her family saying she had gone to work abroad and not to worry.
However, after many years passed without any contact from Liu, in 2019, her family saw news about the Mirror Foundation, which works on missing persons cases, and sought their help. The foundation’s team investigated unidentified bodies from that period, coordinating with hospitals in Chonburi, Chachoengsao, Prachinburi, and Sa Kaeo provinces. They found three suspicious unidentified female bodies, all murder victims whose bodies had been hidden.
DNA Finally Solved the Case
When Sureewan Yodpanao, Liu’s mother, participated in DNA testing, results from late 2013 confirmed that an unidentified female body reported to police on May 13, 2012, found in a sugarcane field in Moo 13, Tha Kwian Sub-district, Watthana Nakhon District, Sa Kaeo Province, was Liu’s. After DNA collection, the body had been kept at a private cemetery in Chonburi Province.
The family then filed a request to reopen the case on January 28, 2021. The investigation led to a school director in Don Pru subdistrict, Si Prachant district, Suphan Buri province, who had been romantically involved with Liu and was previously the director of her school. Family members had learned from Liu’s close friends and coworkers that she had been in a relationship with an older man and had previously tried to end the relationship.
The Watthana Nakhon Police investigation team and Sa Kaeo provincial police arrested Mr. Jumpon Suphaphong, or “Director Tu,” in Suphan Buri on February 18, 2021. Though he denied the charges, investigators gathered evidence, particularly bullet casings found in a well behind his house in Suphan Buri that matched the murder weapon. He was prosecuted at Sa Kaeo Provincial Court for intentional murder.
The lower court considered the weapon evidence, DNA results, and testimony from the victim’s friends conclusive enough to find the defendant guilty. He was sentenced to life imprisonment and ordered to pay compensation of 1,788,000 baht plus 7.5% annual interest from May 13, 2012.
On October 31, 2023, the Appeals Court upheld the life sentence. On October 31, 2024, the Sa Kaeo Supreme Court spent about 20 minutes reading its verdict, which upheld both lower court decisions.
Somsak Yodpayao, Liu’s 65-year-old father, came to hear the Supreme Court’s verdict at Sa Kaeo Provincial Court with his son. Sureewan, now 59, was ill and receiving hospital treatment, so she couldn’t attend. He expressed great joy that the court had provided justice for his family and daughter. He plans to consult with the Mirror Foundation about pursuing the court-ordered compensation, feeling that justice has been served.
“When we get home, I will light incense and tell Liu that I’m happy the court has given her justice. As for the person who did this to Liu, let him live his life that way. Whoever creates karma must receive karma,” he said with tears in his eyes.
Better Missing Persons Data System Needed
Ekkalak Lumchumkae, head of the Missing Persons Information Center at the Mirror Foundation, who attended the Supreme Court’s verdict reading, said that after learning about the case from Liu’s parents, they investigated and found no record of Liu leaving the country. Her ID card had expired without renewal, leading them to suspect foul play. Their investigation revealed relationship issues at the time of her disappearance.
After searching through unidentified bodies across nearly 5 provinces and almost 10 hospitals, they found three female bodies from the same timeframe as the disappearance. DNA samples from the mother were compared, leading to a match with one body found in Tha Kwian subdistrict, Watthana Nakhon district, Suphan Buri province. The body showed evidence of gun-related homicide.
Ekkalak added that upon discovering this information, they coordinated with Watthana Nakhon Police Station and central investigation police. Police Colonel Sathit Mitrak, then-superintendent of Watthana Nakhon Police Station, conducted a thorough investigation that led to the perpetrator’s arrest, bringing some justice to the missing person’s family after 12 full years.
“Liu’s family has received partial justice – a life lost cannot be exchanged for the perpetrator’s punishment, as the loss is immense. However, at least some justice has been restored, and the perpetrator will serve his sentence according to law. If Liu’s spirit knows, she would be at peace that her parents received justice,” said the head of the Missing Persons Information Center.
Ekkalak further noted that Liu’s murder case highlights Thailand’s lack of systematic management of unidentified bodies’ data. The foundation had to manually search through autopsy records at various hospital morgues in the area, where information was recorded by hand in notebooks, before finally discovering that the missing person had been murdered and found in the middle of a forest.
However, the family couldn’t retrieve the body as the cemetery had already been cleared. This emphasizes the importance of proper missing persons data management as crucial evidence for bringing justice to many families.
According to the Mirror Foundation’s statistics, someone goes missing every 4 hours. Currently, there are 18,887 recorded missing persons cases, with 16,315 (86%) found, and 2,232 still under investigation.
The Central Institute of Forensic Science revealed that the number of missing persons reports, unidentified persons, and unidentified bodies has been steadily increasing from October 2021 to February 2024. The cumulative figures show 201 missing persons reports, 273 unidentified persons, and 380 unidentified bodies, with an upward trend expected to continue.
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