Manhunt ordered in ‘body in fridge’ case

National police chief Pol Gen Chakthip Chaijinda has ordered a manhunt for a key suspect wanted in connection with the murder of millionaire Wannee Jiracharoenying, 58, whose decomposing body was found in a refrigerator at a house in Chiang Mai’s Chom Thong district on Sunday.

The move came after an arrest warrant was issued on Tuesday for Withun Sitabut, 39, from Lampang, who is now wanted on charges of robbery resulting in the death of Wannee, who was from Bang Phli district of Samut Prakan.

Mr Withun is still the only suspect to be formally identified by the investigation team probing the murder case, said Pol Col Kritsana Pattanacharoen, deputy spokesman for the national police, yesterday.

He dismissed media reports the suspect had already been apprehended.

Pol Gen Chakthip had instructed that all possible investigation techniques be deployed to track Mr Withun down, said Pol Col Kritsana. Police say he first met the victim when he took her and a group of Buddhist nuns to a temple for dhamma practice. They later became friends and went shopping together.

A BMW owned by Wannee and allegedly stolen by Mr Withun had been found abandoned in a wooded area in Chiang Mai’s Saraphi district and seized for examination, he said.

In another development, a woman said to be a girlfriend of Mr Withun was detained at Chiang Mai airport for questioning, said a source.

The source did not say when she was arrested.

Identified only as Nam, the woman was detained on arrival in the northern province from a trip to Koh Samet in Rayong province with Mr Withun.

She told police Mr Withun paid for her trip, which saw them fly from Chiang Mai to Bangkok before renting a car and dring to Koh Samet. There they checked in at a luxury resort and went on a spending spree.

At the end of the trip, Mr Withun dropped her off at Don Mueang airport where she boarded a plane back to Chiang Mai, said the source.

Pol Lt Gen Prachuap Wongsuk, commissioner of Provincial Police Region 5, said Mr Withun’s girlfriend had provided useful information.

The source said there are two more suspects in this murder case, another woman and another man identified only as Ton who is thought to be a friend of Mr Withun.