Police investigators, who initially suspected a murder, now believe that a Russian man found dead in a ditch at Karon Beach may have committed suicide.
On Thursday, Pol Maj Gen Sinlert Sukhum, chief of Phuket police, indicated that evidence is now pointing towards suicide as a possibility. Investigators learned that the deceased had exhibited psychotic behavior and used marijuana, which could have led to hallucinations and violent behavior.
According to the man’s Russian wife, her husband had previously attempted suicide multiple times. Investigators are still gathering additional evidence before holding a press conference to announce the official cause of death, said Pol Maj Gen Sinlert.
The Russian man, identified only as Ilia, had sustained multiple injuries, including wounds near his eyes, severe bruising around his left ear, and deep cuts on both arms, suggesting he had been bludgeoned with a hard object.
His body was discovered in a ditch near the Naga statue along the road facing Karon Beach on Tuesday. Doctors estimated he had been deceased for at least eight hours before his body was found.
Initially, police suspected that he had been killed elsewhere and then dumped at the location.
