Crime Naked Body of Young Woman Found in Chiang Rai Canal: Suspected Rape and Murder

[Georgealbert]

 

Picture courtesy of Amarin.

 

A grisly discovery was made in a remote canal in Phaya Mengrai District, Chiang Rai province, where the naked body of a young woman was found in an advanced state of decomposition, suggesting she had been dead for over a month. The circumstances of the discovery and evidence at the scene has led investigators to suspect she was raped and murdered.

 

The body was found in a dry, overgrown canal near a longan plantation on the border between Moo 1 and Moo 16 villages in Mai Ya Subdistrict, near the road leading to a local reservoir. Local residents had reported a foul odour and alerted the authorities on the evening of 24 April.

 

 

Officers from Phaya Mengrai Police Station, together with forensic police and rescue volunteers from Thoeng Charity Rescue Unit, responded to the scene. Upon clearing the thick vegetation, they discovered the body of a woman lying face up in the canal, completely unclothed. Her legs were splayed unnaturally, one hand raised and the other clenched into the soil. Her body showed signs of severe decomposition, with parts of the intestines missing and the skin dried and shrunken. No form of identification was found at the scene.

 

Initial forensic assessments estimate the woman was between 15 and 25 years old. Authorities believe she had been dead for at least a month. Due to the position of the body and the absence of clothing, investigators suspect that she may have been sexually assaulted before being murdered. It is unclear whether she died at the scene or if her body was dumped there in an attempt to conceal the crime.

 

The body has been transferred to Maharaj Nakorn Chiang Mai Hospital for a full autopsy by forensic specialists. Meanwhile, police have launched a search for missing persons matching the woman’s description and are urging anyone with a missing relative to contact Phaya Mengrai Police Station.

 

Mr. Thatchai, 45, a local village security volunteer who lives approximately 100 metres from the discovery site, recalled that for the past month, his dogs had been barking persistently at night. “I didn’t think much of it at the time – this area is quiet and far from the main village,” he said. “But now my wife is terrified.”

 

The investigation continues as police await the results of the autopsy and pursue leads that may identify the victim and her assailant.

  Adapted by Asean Now from Amarin 2025-04-26.