Ex-Soldier Charged in Murder, Dismemberment Case
A 41-year-old former soldier has been arrested in Chachoengsao province for the murder and dismemberment of a 51-year-old man from Ubon Ratchathani, whose remains were discovered in a eucalyptus plantation.
On July 25, 2569 (2026), police from Sanam Chai Khet Station took 41-year-old former soldier Ranakrit into custody for murder and corpse concealment. He was escorted to crime sites to reconstruct events under tight security and the watch of the victim's family.
The case began on July 21 when the daughter of 51-year-old Boonlertsak from Ubon Ratchathani reported him missing at Plaeng Yao Station. On July 23, residents discovered human remains in Wang Yen subdistrict, Plaeng Yao district, Chachoengsao province, prompting authorities to launch an investigation.
On July 24, Chachoengsao provincial police and Region 2 officers arrested the suspect in Bang Teen Ped subdistrict, Muang Chachoengsao. They seized a sidecar motorcycle and a wooden-handled machete believed to be the weapon used.
During interrogation, the suspect confessed to quarreling with the victim before striking him with wood, causing his death. He then transported the body to a eucalyptus plantation in Sanam Chai Khet subdistrict, dismembered it, and discarded the pieces at various locations.
During the reconstruction, the victim's brother arrived from Ubon Ratchathani and tearfully confronted the suspect, shouting "Why did you kill my brother?" The suspect replied only that "he came to me," before officers continued the reconstruction amid the family's grief.
The victim's daughter watched the process with sorrow, struggling to come to terms with her father's loss, supported by relatives. Authorities have sent identified remains to the Police Hospital's forensic institute and are still searching for two legs and one arm. Preliminary urine testing revealed the suspect had drugs in his system.
After the reconstruction, the suspect was remanded in custody and charged with intentional assault causing death and concealing, moving, or destroying a corpse to conceal the manner or fact of death.
