The manhunt for a 37-year-old Thai man accused of murdering five family members — including his pregnant wife — came to an end this week with his arrest.
Police managed to track down and arrest Weerapol Pin-amorn in Ranong province on Tuesday around noon, thwarting what they said was an attempt to flee to neighboring Myanmar, reported Khaosod.
Upon his capture, Weerapol allegedly confessed to the five murders before being transported to Laplae Police Station in Uttaradit province, where he was jailed.
Due to the severity of the crime, Deputy National Police Chief Gen. Chalermkiat Srivorakan traveled to Uttaradit from Bangkok on Wednesday to interrogate the suspect himself and witness a reenactment of the crime.
Though crime reenactments — a regular feature of major Thai arrests — are typically conducted at the scene of the crime, officials decided to carry out this one behind the Uttaradit Provincial Police Office Building, fearing that locals would riot if Weerapol were to return to the houses in which the brutal murders were committed.
During the reenactment, Weerapol described the massacres in detail, reported Morning News.
Before the incident he had been fighting with his wife, Kanyarat Kingkaew, who was four months pregnant, and his 46-year-old father-in-law, Wirat Kingkaew, over who got to keep the family car after the couple’s breakup that day, the gunman explained.
“I wanted them to sign papers [transferring the ownership of the car back to him], and I told them I would shoot them if they didn’t,” said Weerapol.
When Wirat dared him to do so, Weerapol pulled out a gun and pulled the trigger — a disturbing scene that was captured by CCTV cameras.
The gunman alleged that he’d spent about THB10 million (US$300,000) on Kanyarat in the years they’d been together and wanted some of his property back after they’ve parted ways.
After the first two murders, the perpetrator traveled 5 kilometers to his mother-in-law’s house where he shot and killed three more people.
According to Morning News, Weerapol is currently facing five charges of pre-meditated murder, attempted murder, possessing firearms without permission, carrying firearms without permission, and bringing a weapon into a residential area.
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