Deputy Tambon Chief Arrested for Killing In-Laws in Prachinburi

Picture courtesy of Daily News

Police in Prachinburi have arrested a deputy subdistrict chief accused of fatally shooting his brother-in-law, a former commando soldier and the man’s wife in their home. The suspect, identified as Mr Somporn, allegedly carried out the killings late at night on November 1 before returning to the scene and pretending to be a concerned relative. Officers detained him shortly afterwards on suspicion of murder.

The incident took place at a house in Moo 9, Wat Bot Subdistrict, Mueang Prachinburi District. Police responding to the scene found the bodies of a 65-year-old former commando with a gunshot wound to the back of the head and forehead and his 62-year-old wife, who was shot in the back of the neck. Both were discovered dead inside their home, with signs they had been killed several hours earlier. A one-year-old granddaughter was found crying unharmed in a plastic basin inside the bathroom.

An 18-year-old woman who discovered the bodies told police she had gone to check on the couple after their daughter was unable to reach them by phone. When she arrived, she found the victims dead and the baby alone. Investigators also recovered two firearms, a rifle and a pistol, and a grenade from the house.

Detectives reviewing CCTV footage noticed a man wearing blue clothing near the crime scene who matched the description of Mr Somporn, the deputy tambon administrative official and brother-in-law of the deceased man. He was taken in for questioning, during which he confessed to the crime. He told police he threw part of the CCTV system into a river after the killings and led officers to his home, located about 50 metres from the victims’ house, where they found a .38 revolver and the clothes he allegedly wore during the attack.

According to investigators, Mr Somporn admitted shooting his brother-in-law while he was entering a bedroom, then turning the gun on the man’s wife in the bathroom in front of the toddler. He later changed clothes and returned to the house with relatives to appear uninvolved.

Pol Maj Gen Dr Saralpat Yotsombat, commander of Prachinburi Provincial Police, said the motive stemmed from a family dispute over who should care for the suspect’s elderly, bedridden in-laws. The victim’s wife had reportedly asked the suspect’s wife, her elder sister, to take sole responsibility, causing tension. Police have charged Mr Somporn with homicide. He has confessed in the presence of witnesses.

Key Takeaways

• A deputy subdistrict chief was arrested for killing his in-laws in Prachinburi.

• The suspect confessed, citing family conflict over elderly care duties as the motive.

• Police found weapons and evidence linking him directly to the crime.

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  Adapted  by  Asean  Now from Dailynews 2025-11-03