The Khon Kaen provincial court will on Thursday pass judgement on the four defendants charged over the May 2017 murder, dismemberment and hidden burial of a karaoke bar girl.
The court informed local public prosecutors that the ruling date would be brought forward from the scheduled June 29 to May 9 at 1.30pm, Nopadol Seedatan, lawyer for the plaintiffs, said on Wednesday.
Prosecutors, relatives of the victim and the defendants, and their lawyers, would be at the court to hear the ruling, he said.
Warisara Klinjui, 22, was found dismembered in a shallow grave in Khon Kaen province on May 26 last year.
Preeyanuch Nonwangchai, 25, Kawita Rachada, 26, Apiwan Sattayabundit, 29, and Wasin Namprom, 22, were charged with premeditated murder and Jidarat Promkhun, 22, with the robbery and sale of the victim’s mobile phone. Only Ms Jidarat was released on bail.
Ms Kawita, Ms Apiwan and Mr Wasin earlier told the court they only helped Ms Preeyanuch cut up the body before burying it in a rough grave in Khon Kaen’s Khao Suan Kwang district. Ms Preeyanuch claimed she “accidentally covered Warisara’s nose with her hand” and that she had intended only to gag the victim.
According to some defendants’ testimonies, the suspects assaulted Warisara before Ms Preeyanuch used a black plastic bag she bought at a convenience store to strangle the victim to death in a car.
According to police, Ms Preeyanuch wanted to “give Warisara a lesson” after the victim gave them information which led to the arrest of the suspect’s husband for drug offences.
bangkokpost
