Thai teen found in suitcase died from suffocation, police reveal

What the report says

Thai police say a 17-year-old girl whose body was found in a suitcase near railway tracks in Pattaya died from suffocation, adding new detail to a case that has drawn wide attention in Thailand. Authorities identified the victim as Tunchanok Donhomla, who was allegedly murdered in June. Police also said she suffered some brain injury, but they did not believe that was the cause of death.

Investigators have charged 45-year-old Australian national Simon Peter Carman with murder, concealing or moving a body, kidnapping a child over 15 but under 18, and taking away a child in that age range for an indecent act. Pattaya police said DNA found on the victim matched Carman, and that CCTV footage allegedly showed him entering a condominium with the teenager before later leaving alone with a large suitcase. Police said he was arrested while allegedly preparing to flee the country.

Carman has denied the charges and said he acted in self-defence, according to the BBC report. Police said they plan to submit the case to prosecutors by Friday, ahead of a 18 September indictment deadline. The case has also prompted grief in the victim’s family, who said she had travelled to Pattaya from Kalasin earlier in June. In Thailand, a murder conviction can carry the death penalty.