Manhunt Launched for Suspect in Murder & Burning of Victim

Pictures courtesy of Daily News

Police in Sakon Nakhon have issued an arrest warrant for a repeat offender accused of killing and burning the body of a 46-year-old LGBTQ individual, whose remains were found on 20 November near a roadside scrub area in SriWichai Subdistrict, Wanon Niwat  District. The discovery triggered a nine-day investigation that ultimately identified the victim as Sitthidon, known locally as “Jae Sitthi,” from Bueng Kan province, pending final confirmation by forensic analysis. Officers say the suspect, Nitchawun “Tung,” fled the scene and is currently on the run.

The case began when local residents found a severely burned body alongside metal leg braces, a wristwatch, fragments of clothing with English lettering and a university belt buckle linked to a Sakon Nakhon institution. Investigators issued missing-person alerts in neighbouring areas while forensic teams searched the scene. CCTV footage soon played a key role, revealing the victim’s last known movements on the night of 18 November.

Video from a convenience store in Wanon Niwat at 22.47 showed Sitthidon, with dyed blond hair and wearing a black hooded top with the word “BOY,” meeting a thin man later identified as 35-year-old Nitchawun, a local resident. Police determined that both men had met earlier at a molam event before heading to drink together at a rice-field hut about 25 kilometres from where the body was later burned. Investigators believe this hut was the crime scene after finding traces of blood consistent with an assault.

Further CCTV footage captured Nitchawun fleeing in the victim’s car, while a local resident later filmed a man resembling him attempting to sell the vehicle. In this recording, the man wore a white long-sleeved shirt, black shorts, a green cap and sandals, carrying a sling bag. Three other men present at the hut on the night of the killing have been questioned as witnesses.

Police say the Sakon Nakhon Provincial Court approved an arrest warrant for Nitchawun on 29 November. Officers confirmed that he previously served a 13-year prison sentence for robbery-murder and had been released only five months ago. Authorities have ruled out any link to an unidentified burned body found in the same area in June 2024.

Komchadluek reported that police are urging anyone who sees the suspect to report immediately to local authorities. Search teams are continuing operations across the district, with investigators focusing on tracking the stolen vehicle’s movements. Officers have said that those who saw the victim and suspect together have been designated as protected witnesses while the investigation proceeds.

Key Takeaways

• Police identified the burned body as 46-year-old Sitthidon.

• An arrest warrant has been issued for repeat offender Nitchawun, last seen fleeing in the victim’s car.

• Investigators believe the killing occurred at a rice-field hut before the body was burned to conceal the crime.

Original Story

Mystery-burned-body-found-in-Sakon-Nakhon-thicket/

 Adapted by Asean Now from Dailynews 2025-12-01