‘Family killer’ caught at border

A 37-year-old man wanted for the murder of his wife, her parents and two other in-laws in northern Uttaradit province on Sunday, was caught near the Myanmar border in this southern province yesterday morning. His arrest came amid reports he had been flaunting unsourced wealth, which he may have acquired due to his involvement with a gang of drug traffickers. Some claimed he had given or loaned a share of the money to his wife’s family, who reportedly refused to return it. Teerapon Pinamon, named in a court arrest warrant, was captured near the Kra Buri district checkpoint at around 8.30am by a team of police and soldiers, said Pol Col Thapset Khuenkaew, chief investigator of Uttaradit province. Mr Teerapon’s mother-in-law, Namphueng Kingkaew, and her two elder sisters, Nampha and Kanokwan Inthasit, were shot dead at a house in Phichai district in Uttaradit while his wife, Kanyarat Kingkaew, and his father-inlaw, Wirat Kingkaew, were killed shortly afterwards at a house nearby. Two other men were wounded at the second house. The murders were reported to the police at around 5.45pm on Sunday. The suspect fled the scene in a Toyota Camry sedan with Phitsanulok licence plates. It was found abandoned on Monday at a hotel in Muang district of Phitsanulok province. Police said Mr Terrapon had borrowed a motorcycle from a hotel maid and had not returned. They had believed he was trying to make his way back home to Ranong. Local residents earlier told police Mr Teerapon was a jealous man who often quarrelled with his wife. The district chief added the authorities were investigating Mr Teerapon’s unusual wealth. He reportedly bought more than 10 cars, built a teak wood house worth over 3 million baht for his father-in-law, and shared a huge sum of money with his wife.