A 17-year-old girl whose body was discovered in a suitcase in Pattaya, Thailand, died from suffocation, authorities announced Wednesday. Police in the coastal city previously found Tunchanok Donhomla's body in a bag near a railway track in the early hours of June 27, shortly after arresting 45-year-old Australian man Simon Peter Carman, who was allegedly preparing to flee.
Pattaya City police chief Anek Srathongyoo told the BBC that autopsy results showed Tunchanok died from suffocation. He added that while she sustained some brain injury, it was not the cause of death and may have occurred after she died as the accused moved her body. DNA found on Tunchanok's body matched Carman's, which police suggest likely came from him placing her body in the suitcase.
Carman faces four charges: murder, concealing or moving the body, kidnapping a child over 15 but under 18, and taking away a child over 15 but under 18 for an indecent act. Anek stated that Carman did not completely deny the charges, admitting to taking her out, and expressed confidence that evidence collected would prove guilt in court.
Police anticipated submitting the case to prosecutors by Friday, with a deadline to indict Carman set for September 18. CCTV footage reportedly shows Carman entering a condominium with Tunchanok on June 25 and later emerging alone, carrying a large suitcase, which he loaded onto a motorbike before driving toward a railway line.
Following his arrest, Carman denied the charges, claiming self-defense. He reportedly told police that he had agreed to pay Tunchanok 1,000 baht ($30) for sexual services, but an argument ensued in his apartment when he offered only 500 baht. In a video from custody, Carman expressed condolences to Tunchanok's family, stating the events were out of his control and advising other girls to be careful.
Tunchanok's family described her as an only child who lived with her father and stepmother in Kalasin province. She had informed her parents she was traveling to Pattaya on June 16 to holiday with a friend. Her father, Thongchai Donhomla, shared his deep sadness, noting his daughter's self-reliance. Her stepmother, Oradee Bussarakum, expressed her desire for Carman to face the death penalty, which is a potential sentence for murder conviction in Thailand.