An American fugitive has been arrested in Thailand on suspicion of stabbing his pregnant wife to death and dumping her body in the trash.
Jason Balzer, 32, argued with Pitchaporn Kidchob, 32, about his purchase of a new motorbike before allegedly stabbing her repeatedly at their home in the northern city of Nan on Sunday.
Balzer is said to have fled the following day and was arrested on Thursday more than 100 miles away in Chiang Mai where he was staying with friends, local media reported.
Police detained him hours after discovering Pitchaporn’s body stuffed inside a bin which had been pushed into a ditch around three miles from their home. There were stab wounds on her torso.
Balzer – who arrived in Thailand after allegedly jumping bail in Colorado – was charged with murder which carries a maximum penalty of death.
He reportedly told police that he killed his wife because she had nagged him and complained about a new motorcycle he bought himself.
In a police interview, Balzer reportedly said: ‘I was furious when she yelled at me for buying a new motorbike so I stabbed her. I really had no idea that she was pregnant.
Police Lieutenant General Prachuab Wongsuk said that they wanted to gather all the evidence before levelling charges at Balzer.
According to local press, Prachuab said: ‘They had a lot of arguments lately. The offender eventually snapped when she scolded him. She demanded that he should leave her alone.
‘Jason stabbed her twice before taking her body to a forest to get rid of the evidence. He hid the corpse inside a bin and put it on the back of a pickup truck.
‘The bin was sealed with tapes and placed in a specific spot where bushes concealed everything. He fled to Chiang Mai to stay with his friends, since the province has more foreigners than Nan allowing him to blend in.’
Police had been alerted to a possible crime when Pitchaporn’s mother, Anong Tanya, 52, who was unable to reach her daughter by phone, went to the couple’s house and found bloodstains.
Balzer, a programmer, met Pitchaporn in Thailand in 2017 and they were married in the US, after which Balzer quit his job, sold all his property and moved to Nan, the newspaper Thai Rath reported, citing commander Prachuab.
Balzer said he did not know his wife was three months’ pregnant, Prachuab said.
According to media reports from Colorado, Balzer has been in previous legal trouble.
The Boulder Daily Camera reported that Balzer in December 2019 pleaded guilty to one count of third-degree assault in Boulder District Court and was sentenced to two years of probation.
It said he had originally been charged with attempted murder and six related charges, but his victim would not testify in court.
The Greeley Tribune reported that Balzer and a second man were stopped by police on December 30 last year in the town of Mead for a possible traffic violation, and were found to be transporting 72 guns.
Balzer was arrested for 74 violations of a protection order, two felony counts of possession of an illegal weapon and two counts of possession of a dangerous weapon, the report said. He was released from custody after posting bail, it said.
