The uncle of a three-year-old girl found dead on a mountain in Mukdahan province last year was arrested in Bangkok on Wednesday.
According to a report by Thairath Online, Thai police had spent a year investigating the murder of Orawan “Nong Chomphoo,” a three-year-old girl who was found dead and molested on a mountain in Phu Pha Yon National Park, near her home in Mukdahan.
44-year-old Chaiphol Wipha or “Lung Phon”, the uncle of Orawan “Nong Chompoo,” has been taken into custody.
Miss Orawan Wongsricha, known as “Nong Chompoo,” disappeared on 11 May, 2020, and was discovered dead on Lek Fai mountain, five kilometers from her home, on 14 May 14 last year.
The murder is believed to have been committed in connection with occult practices, with Chaiphol believing he would gain notoriety and wealth following the murder of his niece.
On Tuesday, the Mukdahan Provincial Court issued an arrest warrant for Mr. Chaiphol Wipha on initial charges of depriving a child of parental care, abandoning a child under nine years old in a way that caused her death, and tampering with a body to influence an autopsy and police investigation, Bangkok Post reports.
He will be taken to a police station in Mukdahan for interrogation.
The case sparked a media storm last year as Mr. Chaiphol protested his innocence, and has been closely followed by people in Laos, particularly by residents of Savannakhet across the border from Mukdahan.
According to Bangkok Post, Chaiphol became a minor celebrity who was followed by fans who reportedly sent donations to him, insisting on his innocence.
