German National Murdered In Pattaya

[george]

German national murdered in Pattaya

PATTAYA: -- A 59-year-old German national was murdered over the weekend in his home at Thailand's Pattaya beach resort, police said Monday.

The body of Kurt Schmolke of Lahnstein on the Rhein River in western Germany was discovered Sunday evening when police received reports of a fire at his home in Pattaya, 100 kilometres south-east of Bangkok. Schmolke had been stabbed and suffocated, police said.

Found next to the body was a plastic bag containing 500 euros and 30,000 Thai baht (870 dollars), said Major Jakarin Tuasupat of Pattaya's Banglamung Police Station, who inspected the scene.

Tuasupat suspected Schmolke was killed three hours before the fire by a foreigner, he told Deutsche Presse-Agentur in a telephone interview.

A foreign man and a Thai woman reportedly visited Schmolke Sunday and were seen leaving in his car that afternoon.

Neighbours told police that Schmolke, who worked in the German Navy and had a Thai wife, was feuding with a foreigner over stolen belongings, which he had been planning to report to the police.

Schmolke entered Thailand on August 10 although his wife remained in Germany.

--DPA 2007-09-10

[sriracha john]

The victim

FORMER GERMAN MARINE IS BRUTALLY MURDERED AND HIS HOUSE IS SET ON FIRE

Banglamung police are investigating the baffling case of an ex-German Marine, Mr. Kurp Schmorke (60). He was hit on the head and brutally stabbed in the forehead, cheek and behind his ear.

His head was covered with a plastic bag and wrapped in a towel. Mr. Schmorke’s house was set on fire, but the fire was extinguished quickly. The housing estate’s CCTV camera was covered by an umbrella. The motive for this heinous crime is unknown at this time.

At 7 PM on 9 September 2007, Police Lieutenant Colonel Jarakin Tua-supharp, a Banglamung Investigator, was notified of a house fire at 106/83 Moo Baan Ekmonkol 2/1, Moo 10, Soi Khao-talo; and rushed to the scene along with the Nongprue Fire Department.

The fire broke out on the second floor of the house. The main gate and front door were locked; and it took about ten minutes to gain access. The source of the fire was in the second floor master bedroom, which was also locked. Officials forced their way into the room and discovered that the bed was aflame. The firefighters got the fire under control after about twenty minutes.

Officials found the body of Mr. Kurp Schmorke (60), an ex German Marine Corps member. He had been struck on the head and stabbed in three places: on the forehead, the cheek and behind his right ear. The wall and Venetian blinds were covered with blood and there were signs that Mr. Schmorke had put up a struggle. A Kasikorn Bank, South Pattaya Branch, bankbook with a balance of two million baht and one hundred thousand baht in cash were found next to the body. Mr. Schmorke’s bronze Honda City automobile, license 1066, Chonburi, was missing.

A neighbor, Mrs. Amphawan Bpothinart (45), told officials that she observed smoke coming from the roof of Mr. Schmorke’s house, and immediately notified the police. She was shocked to hear that Mr. Schmorke was in the house and deceased.

"Earlier around 11AM, Mr. Schmorke drove his car out with a blonde chubby guy, about 180 cm tall, and a dark Thai woman. After about three hours, he came back home alone and now he is dead," Mrs. Amphawan said.

Police searched the area around the house and discovered that the CCTV camera at the front entrance of the housing project, about one hundred meters from the house, was covered with an umbrella, arousing suspicion that this was done by the perpetrators to hinder detection. Mr. Schmorke’s car was found parked on Pattaya Soi 14, about a kilometer away from the crime scene.

Banglamung Superintendent, Police Colonel Sarayut Sagnuenbpo-kai, declared that Mr. Schmorke was definitely the victim of foul play, but the motive was unclear at this time. This appeared to be a well planned crime. The investigation will proceed to find the individuals responsible for this brutal crime as soon as possible.

- Pattaya Daily News

*WARNING* Contains Graphic photos of murder site:

http://www.pattayadailynews.com/shownews.p...NEWS=0000003806

[moo9]

The victim

FORMER GERMAN MARINE IS BRUTALLY MURDERED AND HIS HOUSE IS SET ON FIRE

Banglamung police are investigating the baffling case of an ex-German Marine, Mr. Kurp Schmorke (60). He was hit on the head and brutally stabbed in the forehead, cheek and behind his ear.

His head was covered with a plastic bag and wrapped in a towel. Mr. Schmorke’s house was set on fire, but the fire was extinguished quickly. The housing estate’s CCTV camera was covered by an umbrella. The motive for this heinous crime is unknown at this time.

At 7 PM on 9 September 2007, Police Lieutenant Colonel Jarakin Tua-supharp, a Banglamung Investigator, was notified of a house fire at 106/83 Moo Baan Ekmonkol 2/1, Moo 10, Soi Khao-talo; and rushed to the scene along with the Nongprue Fire Department.

The fire broke out on the second floor of the house. The main gate and front door were locked; and it took about ten minutes to gain access. The source of the fire was in the second floor master bedroom, which was also locked. Officials forced their way into the room and discovered that the bed was aflame. The firefighters got the fire under control after about twenty minutes.

Officials found the body of Mr. Kurp Schmorke (60), an ex German Marine Corps member. He had been struck on the head and stabbed in three places: on the forehead, the cheek and behind his right ear. The wall and Venetian blinds were covered with blood and there were signs that Mr. Schmorke had put up a struggle. A Kasikorn Bank, South Pattaya Branch, bankbook with a balance of two million baht and one hundred thousand baht in cash were found next to the body. Mr. Schmorke’s bronze Honda City automobile, license 1066, Chonburi, was missing.

A neighbor, Mrs. Amphawan Bpothinart (45), told officials that she observed smoke coming from the roof of Mr. Schmorke’s house, and immediately notified the police. She was shocked to hear that Mr. Schmorke was in the house and deceased.

"Earlier around 11AM, Mr. Schmorke drove his car out with a blonde chubby guy, about 180 cm tall, and a dark Thai woman. After about three hours, he came back home alone and now he is dead," Mrs. Amphawan said.

Police searched the area around the house and discovered that the CCTV camera at the front entrance of the housing project, about one hundred meters from the house, was covered with an umbrella, arousing suspicion that this was done by the perpetrators to hinder detection. Mr. Schmorke’s car was found parked on Pattaya Soi 14, about a kilometer away from the crime scene.

Banglamung Superintendent, Police Colonel Sarayut Sagnuenbpo-kai, declared that Mr. Schmorke was definitely the victim of foul play, but the motive was unclear at this time. This appeared to be a well planned crime. The investigation will proceed to find the individuals responsible for this brutal crime as soon as possible.

- Pattaya Daily News

*WARNING* Contains Graphic photos of murder site:

http://www.pattayadailynews.com/shownews.p...NEWS=0000003806

RIP....terrible story.

One have to be very careful with the co-farangs here.

[sriracha john]

POLICE CONTINUE TO INVESTIGATE BRUTAL MURDER OF FORMER GERMAN MARINE

Police are continuing to search for evidence in the case of the murdered German ex-marine, Mr. Kurb Schmorke (60), by separating investigators into two teams to comb the areas near and outside the crime scene. Police have put forth various possible motives for the crime, such as jealousy, robbery or some sort of financial conflict.

On 9 September 2007, Mr. Schmorke (60), a former German marine, was brutally murdered at 106/83, Moo Baan Ekmonkol, Soi Khao-Talo. He was hit on the head and brutally stabbed in the forehead, cheek and behind his ear. His head was covered with a plastic bag and wrapped in a towel. Mr. Schmorke's house was also set on fire.

On 10 September 2007, at 12:00, Banglamung Superintendent, Police Colonel Sarayut Sa-gnuen-bhio-kai, and an investigation team, went to the scene, again, to look for more evidence and to take fingerprints from various parts of the house and surrounding area.

Police Colonel Surayut stated that Mr. Schmorke was, formerly, a prison warden in Germany. He retired from his job and came to live in Thailand. He was married to Mrs. Paiwan Jansorn (35), a Thai national. The couple bought a house in which to live together. At the time of the murder, Mr. Schmorke’s wife had gone to Germany on holiday. Police thoroughly searched the house and found a large amount of forensic evidence, which they are not identifying at this time.

Police surmised that Mr. Schmorke had been dead for more than five hours before the house was set on fire. The police believe that there were at least two perpetrators involved in the crime, who were well acquainted with the victim. After questioning several witnesses, Police ascertained that Mr. Schmorke had taken a thin, dark skinned woman, about thirty-five years old, with curly hair, to the house. Police are interested in locating this woman to determine if she was involved in the crime.

The police also detained Mr. Michael Smith, a German citizen, who drove Mr. Schmorke’s car from the scene of the murder and parked it on Soi Khao Talo 14, about one kilometer away. It turned out that Mr. Smith, a close friend of Mr. Schmorke, the victim, had offered to buy the car from Mr. Schmorke. He had promised to make the last payment on the day that Mr. Schmorke was murdered. Police released Mr. Smith, pending further investigation.

- Pattaya Daily News

[sriracha john]

Retired German Prison Officer killed in his home

A gruesome murder now of a German Resident of Pattaya at his home in Soi Kao Tha Low.

The case begins with a call to Police and Fire Fighters to attend a house fire at the location, house number 106/83 at the Egmonkol Village 2 at 7pm on Sunday. At this point, Police Lieutenant Colonel Jackgarin from Banglamung Police Station was assigned to the case.

It took fire fighters 15 minutes to gain access to the house to tackle the small fire on the second floor of the house. The fire was inside the master bedroom which was locked. The house was declared a crime scene when fire fighters forced the door open and found the body of the house owner; Mr. Kurt Schmolke aged 56, a retired Prison Guard from Lahnstein in Western Germany.

He had been stabbed in his face a number of times and had sustained a head trauma consistent with a heavy blow to the head. His head had been wrapped in a plastic bag and a towel. Evidence of blood around the bedroom suggested the victim offered some resistance before he died.

The mattress of the bed showed significant fire damage and was thought to have been lit after the victim was killed.

500 Euro’s and 870 US Dollars in cash were found near the body suggesting this may not have been a house robbery.

Police Colonel Sarayut, the Superintendent of Banglamung Police Station was called to the scene and he begun the murder investigation at the entrance to the village. The CCTV camera located approximately 100 meters from the house had been covered by an umbrella.

The Security Guard stationed at the entrance claimed he did not know the CCTV camera had been covered up. He is now assisting Police further with their enquiries.

Back at the house, a number of witnesses came forward who offered some insight into the life of Mr. Sckmolke and what happened earlier in the day. Mr. Schmolke was known to own a Silver Honda City which was seen to be driven from his house by a foreign man and two Thai women at 2.30pm on Sunday. The car was found at 8pm in Soi 14/1 in Soi Kao Tha Low, approximately 1km from the victim’s house.

The foreigner who was driving the car, Mr. Michael Schmidt aged 49 from Germany was located and was asked to accompany Police to the Station along with the two Thai Women. Mr. Schmidt claimed that he had purchased the car from the victim on Sunday Afternoon and was due to pay for the car on Monday but knew nothing of the murder which was thought to have taken place at approximately 5pm.

A local noodle vendor, Khun Viranan aged 27 also approached Police and claimed she knew the victim well. She explained that on Saturday she was told by Mr. Schmolke that he had received death threats from another foreign resident of Pattaya who, as yet, has not been identified.

This information is believed to be associated with a Football Gambling operation which Mr. Schmolke was involved in. Evidence including lists of German Football Teams and betting odds were found in the house.

Early on Monday Morning, Police Forensic Teams from Chonburi Police Headquarters were sent to the house and conducted a detailed inspection. A further witness has come forward mentioning that a Thai woman known only as “Dow” was seen entering the house on Sunday, she is now being located by Police. Police Colonel Sarayut told the media on Monday Morning that they are now basing the murder investigation on two theories.

1. The Murder may be over a relationship.

2. The Murder may be related to the Football Gambling activities of the victim.

Mr. Schmolke is married and his Thai Wife, who is currently in Germany, is now on her way back to Thailand to assist in the investigation. However, there is a strong possibility that a foreigner or group of foreigners were involved in the murder according to Police.

We are keeping a close eye on developments and expect updates in the coming days.

- Pattaya City News

Edited September 10, 2007 by sriracha john

[sriracha john]

Police on Monday inspect a scene where a 59-year-old German national Kurt Schmolke was found murdered in his Pattaya home. The former German Navy was stabbed and suffocated by his attackers, who also set the place on fire, police said.

The Nation

Edited September 11, 2007 by sriracha john

[sriracha john]

Thai police nab German suspect in German's murder in Pattaya

Bangkok - Thai police have arrested a German tourist as the chief suspect in the murder of fellow-countryman Kurt Schmolke earlier this week at Thailand's Pattaya beach resort, Thai police said Wednesday.

Michael Schmidt, 49, from Wurmannsquick, Germany, was arrested Tuesday night after evidence indicated he was the prime suspect in Schmolke's murder, said Major Jakarin Tuasupat of Pattaya's Banglamung Police Station.

"Schmidt still claims that he is innocent, although he admitted to being with the victim on the day of the murder," said Jakarin in a telephone interview with Deutsche Presse-Agentur (DPA).

The body of Schmolke, who was from Lahnstein on the Rhein River in western Germany, was discovered Sunday evening when police received reports of a fire at his home in Pattaya, 100 kilometres south-east of Bangkok. Schmolke had been stabbed and suffocated.

Schmidt and a Thai woman visited Schmolke Sunday and were seen leaving in his car that afternoon before a fire broke out in his house.

Police suspect Schmidt stole money from Schmolke, although several plastic bags filled with euros and Thai baht were found in his house after the fire.

"The bags of money had been washed out of their hiding places by the firemen's water hose," said Jakarin. "We suspect he had hidden a lot more money in the house and Schmidt took it."

- DPA

[sriracha john]

More developments in recent murder case as German Suspect is arrested

Some interesting developments now in the recent German murder case which we are following very closely. The woman known as “Dow”, a local bar worker, who was seen with the victim, Mr. Kurt Schmolke, aged 56, on Sunday afternoon, only hours before his death, has now been located and interviewed by police.

She explained that she was taken back to her home by the victim and Mr. Michael Schmidt in his Silver Honda City which Mr. Schmidt claimed he purchased from the victim on Sunday afternoon. She also explained that before she was dropped off at her home the two men were seen arguing, however they were speaking German and “Dow” could not understand the conversation.

Forensic Officers have now concluded their investigation and two crucial pieces of evidence have been found in the boot of the victim’s car. A blood stained meat cleaver and a piece of blood-stained clothing were found. The blood is now being analyzed; however police expect the blood to match that of the victim. This crucial evidence led police to issue an arrest warrant for Mr. Michael Schmidt, who is now prime suspect in this murder case.

He was brought in, once again, to Banglamung Police Station for further questioning. He denies the allegations of murder which are detailed on the warrant, despite the evidence collected by police and refuses to speak to police further about the case and has chosen to exercise his right to silence pending a court appearance.

Police have been in contact with German Embassy officials who have confirmed that Mr. Schmidt receives welfare benefits from the German government totaling 800 Euros per month. There are also claims from other witnesses, that he would take money from the victim on a regular basis, sometimes using an aggressive manner.

It is also known that Mr. Schmdit was renting a house for 20,000 Baht a month which would have left him with approximately 20,000 Baht to live on, based on his welfare payment which is thought to be his only source of income.

The victim’s son, Mr. Thorsten Schmolke, who arrived in Thailand on Tuesday morning claims that his father never intended to sell his car which was purchased for 260,000 Baht.

This contradicts claims from Mr. Schmidt who states that he had purchased the car and was due to make a final payment to the victim on Monday, one day after he was murdered.

This case is now expected to continue in court as Mr. Schmidt fights to prove his innocence.

- Pattaya City News

[sriracha john]

Mr. Michael Schmidt

SUSPECTED KILLER OF FORMER GERMAN MARINE ARRESTED

Police have arrested an acquaintance of the former German marine who was brutally murdered and whose house was set on fire. The suspect has denied being responsible for the terrible crime, but the police are confident that he is the killer.

Mr. Kurt Schmolke (60), a former German marine, was murdered at house number 106/83 Moo Baan Ekmongkol 2/1, Moo 10, Nongprue, Banglamung, Chonburi. After the grizzly killing, the house was set on fire. Mr. Schmolke’s bronze Honda City automobile (license 1066, Chonburi) was missing. Police later detained Mr. Michael Schmidt (49), who drove the car away and parked it about one kilometer from the incident, on Soi KhaoTalo14.

Banglamung Superintendent, Police Colonel Sarayut Sa-gnuen-bpo-kai, held an arrest warrant No. 957/2550, dated 11 September 2007, for the arrest of Mr. Michael Schmidt (49), a German citizen, for the murder. Evidence included a blood stained chopping knife, which was found in the trunk of the car. Police Colonel Sarayut interrogated Mr. Schmidt, who denied committing the crime. Mr. Schmidt worked as a painter, in Germany, before coming to Thailand. He has been living in Pattaya for six years at Moo Baan Chat-Kaew 9, Soi Nern-plubwarn. He has a reputation for loutish behavior among his fellow German expats.

He knew Mr. Schmolke and came to his house, regularly. He often showed up with a group of people to drink alcohol and extorted money from the victim. Lately, Mr. Schmolke grew tired of being abused and became resistant to Mr. Schmidt’s demands for money.

At the time of the incident, Mr. Schmidt had come to drink beer at Mr. Schmolke’s house. He tried, once again, to extort money from Mr. Schmolke, but Mr. Schmolke refused. Mr. Schmolke threatened that he would tell his brother to come from Germany and report to the police for protection. Mr. Schmolke and Mr. Schmidt exchanged words and Mr. Schmolke retired to his bedroom. Apparently, Mr. Schmidt took a chopping knife and slashed Mr. Schmolke on the head numerous times. Mr. Schmolke bled profusely and collapsed. Mr. Schmidt put a plastic bag over Mr. Schmidt’s head and wrapped it with a towel. Then, he set the house on fire.

According to the police, Mr. Schmidt drove the victim’s car to Soi Khao-Talo, about one kilometre from the house. He claimed that he had bought the car from Mr. Schmolke, legally, but the police are dubious of this claim. In addition, the police found the bloodstained knife in the trunk of the car. The police also interviewed Mr. Hans, a German national, who was a friend of the dead man. He told them that Mr. Schmolke frequently discussed, with him, the fact the Mr. Schmidt extorted money from him.

Mr. Schmidt has denied all of the charges. However, the police believe that they have strong evidence against him. Mr. Schmidt has been charged with intentional murder. The police will continue to analyze the evidence and will determine if the blood on the knife matches Mr. Schmolke’s DNA.

- Pattaya Daily News

Edited September 14, 2007 by sriracha john

[Jimjim]

Why would he put plastic over the victim's head?

[tropo]

It's not looking good for Michael Schmidt.

On first reports I had the victim's wife who is still in Germany pegged as a suspect.

It's hard to believe anyone would drive off in the car belonging to a person they've just murdered.

[soundman]

It's not looking good for Michael Schmidt.

On first reports I had the victim's wife who is still in Germany pegged as a suspect.

It's hard to believe anyone would drive off in the car belonging to a person they've just murdered.

And be stupid enough to leave the weapon in the boot...

[tropo]

It's not looking good for Michael Schmidt.

On first reports I had the victim's wife who is still in Germany pegged as a suspect.

It's hard to believe anyone would drive off in the car belonging to a person they've just murdered.

And be stupid enough to leave the weapon in the boot...

Yes, absolutely.

You could understand someone doing stupid things in a rage, but the covering of all CCTV's looks pre-meditated.

Maybe the whole thing was staged from Germany.

[AGareth2]

Nazi salute?

Mossad hit squad?

[sriracha john]

Police arrest German man on suspicion of murdering Schmolke

Late Tuesday night, armed with an arrest warrant, police apprehended Michael Schmidt, a German national on suspicion of murdering Kurt Schmolke.

Police said that during their interrogation of Ms Sirinandha, she related the incidents leading up to the death of Schmolke.

She said that while she was visiting Schmolke on the morning of Monday, September 10, Michael Schmidt came to the house of the deceased and proceeded to look through the drawers in the house as if looking for something. She told police that Schmolke became irritated and offered to drive her back home. Schmidt went with them sitting in the back seat.

During the drive, Schmolke told her that the man had threatened to harm him and that he wanted to report the matter to the police.

A police spokesman said that Schmidt, a professional painter from Germany had moved to Pattaya 6 years ago. During that period he portrayed himself as a hoodlum and preyed on other Germans, extorting money from them. He became acquainted with Scmolke and had been preying on him for quite a while.

Police theorized that after Schmolke had dropped Sirinandha off, the two men drove back to Schmolke’s house where Schmidt hung around drinking beer and attempted to extort more money from Schmolke. An exasperated Schmolke threatened to report Schmidt to the police, and an argument ensued.

Police speculate that Schmolke walked into the bedroom, followed by Schmidt, with a kitchen knife in hand with which he struck the victim several times in the head. He then put a plastic bag over the victim’s head and tied a towel around it to make sure that Schmolke was dead. The perpetrator then set the bed on fire to try to cover up as much evidence of his evil deed as possible.

Having gathered enough evidence against Schmidt, and armed with an arrest warrant issued by the Pattaya Court, police proceeded to Schmidt’s house to arrest him. Schmidt tried to flee the police but was stopped by the vigilant force. They found the murder weapon in his car.

At press time Schmidt denied any involvement in the death of Schmolke.

- Pattaya Mail

[taxexile]

At press time Schmidt denied any involvement in the death of Schmolke.

shifty schmidt stays shamefacedly shtum over the shocking shivving of schmolke