A BRITISH MILLIONAIRE and his Thai wife, who had been missing, were allegedly killed by her apparently vengeful brother in Phrae province.
“He resented being scolded by the couple,” Provincial Police Region 5 chief Poonsap Prasertsak said on Tuesday.
He convened a press conference after the bodies of Alan Hogg, 64, and Nott Sudaen, 61, were found buried beside a creek on their vast plot in Tambon Chor Hae, Muang district.
The authorities began searching for the couple after their friend told police she had been unable to contact them since September 19.
The trail led to Nott’s elder brother, Warut Wattanasajjakit, his friend Pia Khamsai, both 63, and Kittipong Khamwan, 24.
Warut reportedly told police that he had often been reprimanded by the couple. Anger from the scolding eventually drove him to plot their murder, he said.
“He hired his friend to shoot Hogg for Bt50,000,” Pol Lt-General Poonsap said.
Police say the double murders took place at about 6pm last Tuesday after Marut allegedly offered the bounty to his two accomplices.
According to investigators, Pia allegedly shot Hogg as he was leaving the house to feed his ducks. Meanwhile, Kittipong restrained Nott and Warut reportedly delivered the fatal blow to his sister’s head with a steel spanner.
The three accomplices then allegedly used a mini bulldozer to bury the bodies deep by a creek on the property. Authorities had dug at the spot two days ago but failed to find the bodies.
Police and rescue workers returned on Tuesday and dug deeper, revealing the two bodies lying in water seeping from the stream.
The second dig took place after police traced the couple’s pickup truck and found it was registered in the name of a Lao livestock vendor living in Thailand. The Lao man said he had bought the pickup from three men on September 21. Police traced and arrested the three sellers, who turned out to be Warut, Pia and Kittipong.
The couple had been together for over 10 years and had bought more than 100 rai of land to farm in tambon Chor Hae. The property also housed a large home they had built.
“The brother claims he did not want the couple’s assets. He claims he sold the pickup only in the hope of funding their escape,” Poonsap said.
Warut, Pia and Kittipong have been charged with pre-meditated murder.
