Daniel Sancho was sentenced to life sentence for the murder of a surgeon Colombian Edwin Arrieta appeared Thursday in the provincial court of Koh Samui, Thailand. The Spaniard was charged with premeditated murder, dismemberment and concealment of a corpse, and destruction of the victim’s passport.
The case began last August, when what seemed like a romantic encounter turned into a horrific crime. Daniel Sancho, 29, and Edwin Arrieta, 44, met on social media. In December 2022, the surgeon invested money in the Spaniard’s restaurant. However, in early 2023, Daniel Sancho wanted to end their relationship. Edwin Arrieta did not accept the situation and during this period began to threaten Sancho with the publication of intimate photos.
The Disappearance of Arrieta
However, they decided to meet on August 2, 2023 at the Full Moon Party in Koh Samui. According to ConfidentiallyThe suspect booked a hotel room on the island and bought a knife, rubber gloves, plastic bags, detergent and other tools the day before the meeting. Thai media went ahead, even though he was trying to buy a kayak.
The Colombian surgeon was last seen on August 2, 2023, riding a motorcycle with Sancho, whose images were analyzed by police.
After going to a Full Moon party, Sancho reported the surgeon missing on August 3. Daniel dismembered Arrieta’s body and divided it into countless plastic bags, which he scattered around the island. According to local media, some of the parts were found by workers at a dump. The Spaniard also kept receipts for the materials he used in the crime and some of the remains in a suitcase, which was found by authorities when he became a suspect in the crime.
Two versions of the crime
Surachate Hakparn, Deputy Director of Thai Policeexplained EFE that the forensic examination confirmed that “they fought, Daniel punched him, then doctor [Arrieta] fell and hit his head.” However, the Colombian died “when [Sancho] started cutting his neck.”
The suspect initially confessed to the crime to police on August 5 after blood, hair and human remains were found in the hotel’s drains. “I’m guilty, but Edwin held me hostage, he held me hostage,” he told authorities. In court, he changed his testimony and stated that Arrieta had died accidentally during a quarrel between them, the motive of which was an attempted rape by the surgeon, followed by threats to the Spaniard’s family.
Repentance in court
The trial was held behind closed doors at the Koh Samui Provincial Court from April 9 to May 2, according to El PaisDuring various hearings, the prosecution presented dozens of pieces of evidence and witnesses, including a knife and saw that Daniel Sancho kept it in the hotel room where the surgeon died.
Sancho expressed regret in statements to the court: “I regret what I did,” he said. The suspect also lamented the suffering of “the parents who lost their son” and were unable to “bury him properly.”
In Thailand, the penalty for murder can range from 15 to 20 years in prison, life imprisonment, or the death penalty. In this case, the prosecutor defended intentional murder, which was difficult to prove in court, and saved Sancho from the death penalty.
Because the sentence exceeds 25 years, explained the prosecutor in this case, Jiravat Sawatdichai. El Paisthat the detainee will be transferred to Nakhon Si Thammarat Prison, which holds more than 4,200 inmates.
Author: Morning mail
Source: CM Jornal
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