Man Found Dead Under House; Suspect Detained
A 48-year-old scrap metal collector was found beaten to death under a house in Pak Kret, Nonthaburi, with police detaining a 40-year-old suspect for questioning.
Police are investigating a man's death after he was found beaten under a house in Pak Kret, Nonthaburi at 3:30 p.m. on July 7, 2025. The 48-year-old victim, who collected and sold scrap metal and suffered from mental illness, was discovered with a fractured skull and electrical wire wrapped around his right hand.
The victim's 77-year-old mother, who lived in a separate house nearby, said her son lived alone due to his psychiatric condition and regularly took medication from Sri Thanya Hospital. She found him unresponsive at around 10 a.m. and discovered he had died, likely between 1 and 2 a.m., since he had asked her for money around midnight.
A former community leader described the victim as having a history of drug addiction and inhalant abuse, regularly committing petty theft throughout the neighborhood day and night, causing residents constant worry. His poor physical condition from inhalant abuse left him wheezing heavily when breathing, and his nighttime wanderings with loud, distinctive sounds led some residents to believe they were hearing ghost noises. "This closes the legend of the community's 'thief with a wheeze,' since the victim had no other profession besides stealing," the leader said.
Police have detained a 40-year-old suspect, described as the victim's friend and also a drug user, for further questioning and investigation.