American Killer Tells Phuket Police 'It Was A Terrible Accident'

[webfact]

'It was an accident': Wanphen's killer tells Phuket press

Mr Fanelli, a former US Navy officer, at this morning's press conference.

The switchblade Mr Fanelli used to stab Ms Wanphen to death.

PHUKET: -- Retired US Navy serviceman Ronald Fanelli, who confessed to stabbing to death bar hostess Wanphen Pienjai last month, described the killing as a “terrible accident”, saying he never intended to harm her.

Clean-shaven and appearing somewhat disoriented, Ronald Fanelli, 37, was presented in handcuffs to the media at a press conference chaired by Phuket Provincial Police Commander Pekad Tantipong at 9am today.

On the table in front of him were a pair of camouflage shorts he was wearing at the time of the murder, the switchblade used to kill Wanphen and a small bag belonging her, as well as a mobile phone and SIM card.

Other evidence seized by police, but not presented today, included a foam mattress and the motorbike used to dispose of Wanphen’s body, which was stuffed into a large suitcase and dumped in a remote part of Wichit, several kilometers from Mr Fanelli’s rented home, also in Wichit.

After a brief statement outlining the details of the case, Mr Fanelli told the press flatly, “I killed her.”

He had been treated fairly by police, he added.

The atmosphere at the press conference was somber, with many officers showing sympathy to Mr Fanelli, who now faces the rest of his life behind bars in a Thai prison.

Phuket City Police Superintendent Wanchai Ekpornpit told the Gazette that Mr Fanelli initially denied the charges, but changed his mind when confronted with evidence including CCTV images and recorded telephone conversations.

Police also explained to him that pleading guilty to a murder charge customarily leads Thai judges to commute a death sentence to life imprisonment.

Mr Fanelli, originally from New York and a former US Navy lieutenant who served aboard the USS Nevada, said he came to Thailand about three years ago and has lived here since.

Asked if he were the same Ronald Fanelli who was a former professional poker player who gambled in tournaments under the name “MadYank”, he laughed briefly with a tone of bitter irony before replying, “Yes, but that was a long time ago.”

Mr Fanelli declined to comment on the motive for the murder, asking reporters to read his statement to police.

Phuket City Police Superintendent Wanchai Ekpornpit told reporters after the press conference that several factors appeared to have contributed to Mr Fanelli’s mental state at the time of the stabbing: he was drunk; his Thai wife had left him and taken their young child back to her native Maha Sarakham province in Isarn. He had also recently lost his Internet connection, he noted.

Altogether, this caused the former sailor to “snap” when Ms Wanphen approached him playfully in his bedroom asking for sex, Col Wanchai said.

Mr Fanelli stabbed Ms Wanphen once in the back then again in the chest, Col Wanchai added.

Mr Fanelli was drunk at the time of his arrest and the exact timing of events remains unclear, Col Wanchai said, but added that it appeared Wanphen had stayed with him for about one day before she was murdered.

In a re-enactment of the murder carried out earlier, Mr Fanelli told officers that he carried the suitcase in front of him while he rode his motorbike to where he dumped Wanphen’s body off Chao Fa Thani Rd in Wichit.

Ms Wanphen’s wrists and ankles were found broken, apparently so her body could be stuffed into the suitcase.

The re-enactment also revealed that Mr Fanelli returned home and hid the switchblade above the gypsum tile roof, then rented a house in Kata to avoid detection by police.

Maj Gen Pekad said the arrest followed several days of surveillance following a tip-off by a person whose identity will remain anonymous.

Phuket Police were under intense pressure to bring Ms Wanphen’s killer to justice.

High-ranking officers at the Royal Thai Police Headquarters in Bangkok as well as Region 8 commanders in Surat Thani had taken a strong interest in the investigation and were sent frequent updates, Maj Gen Pekad said.

Police Region 8 Commissioner Pol Maj Gen Pitak Jarusombat came to Phuket to personally oversee the arrest, he added.

The murder sent shock waves throughout the bar industry across Phuket, with “mamasans” taking extra precautions to screen potential customers.

Prostitution is illegal in Thailand, but enforcement of anti-prostitution laws are rare in cases involving consenting adults.

-- Phuket Gazette 2010-07-19

[penhelog]

If part of the defence is that his internet connection had been lost, that gives so many people so much leeway!<br><br>Clearly the Thai police etc. do things totally differently to the UK.  Bringing the accused before the press for a press conference and letting them read his statement??  How bizarre!<br><br>And quite how you accidentally get a knife in the bedroom and stab someone is quite beyond me!<br>

[Boater]

Phuket City Police Superintendent Wanchai Ekpornpit told reporters after the press conference that several factors appeared to have contributed to Mr Fanelli's mental state at the time of the stabbing: he was drunk; his Thai wife had left him and taken their young child back to her native Maha Sarakham province in Isarn. He had also recently lost his Internet connection, he noted

i think with out a question of a doubt they have there man... but to use the fact he lost his internet connection as a motive to commit murder is insane...

Edited July 19, 2010 by Boater

[isaanbrit]

Bit over the top mate,

[csot99]

Prostitution is illegal!! Ahahahahah..

[tominbkk]

Hmmmmm.....death sentence?

[imaneggspurt]

Accident ! ,what she fell on the knife ?.mmm, anyway i dont see losing your internet connection, her wanting sex and him trying to evade capture and disposing of the body as very good mitigating circumstances, no for my money he deserves life,.and if he hadnt been told a guily plea means no death sentance would he have still pleaded guilty  ?. i doubt it, <br>

[TheyCallmeScooter]

I hope they accidentally throw away the keys to his cell.

I'm surprised that people are believing him to be innocent purely because he didn't leave the country. By all accounts, he owed lots of people $ and was living on 10k baht a month. Perhaps he couldn't afford a tuk-tuk to the airport, let alone an international flight. morans.

[TheGhostWithin]

Why do the Thai Police pity this self confessed murderer?

He has committed murder and should be treated the same as any Thai that commits the same crime at home. Using the intoxication and stress excuses really don't wash - he was ex military and as such should have known his own limits both physically (in terms of consumption, presumably having ample time to drink in the service) and mentally.

Some men do get violent when they are under extreme stress and drunk, but the smart ones know not to drink more than a few small bottles when this is the case.

I sincerely hope that this man does life, and suffers for what he has done. This man saw the bar girl as something less than he was, and the murder was a show of power - let the hand of justice now show its full power in return.

[Boater]

Hmmmmm.....death sentence?

highly unlikly , with a good lawyer he will probably get 8-12 years....

[souvenirdeparis]

so sad to see a Navy Officer come to this . And now his kid lost his chance to be reunited with dad some day .

Strange he didn't dispose of the knife and clothes properly . But I fail to see an accident in this story .

[sunny747]

Even after committing crime, he remained in the Kingdom. shows how intelligent is this man.

and these very guys are deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan....

i have no mercy for this man and he actually should have chosen death penalty then to have spend rest of his life in Thai jail.

RIP to the poor lady who perhaps sending money to her poor parents.

[khaowong1]

(Prostitution is illegal in Thailand, but enforcement of anti-prostitution laws are rare in cases involving consenting adults.) wow, do they mean to say that there is actually prostitution in Thailand. I don't believe it...

[Boater]

He has committed murder and should be treated the same as any Thai that commits the same crime at home.

there are many Thai murders walking the streets of Thailand after only serving very short sentances...... ( and some without even serving a prison sentance )

[fraksken]

errr ...

 Prostitution is illegal in Thailand

Since when?

[brd]

some men make women crazy whom in return act with murders as well as some women do mad things to make men crazy in return men act with murders.<div>Alcohol is too often the trigger for violence but the thinking is often pre drinking alcohol, though acts of violence happen all over the world sadly.</div><div>Knowing the facts first is important.</div><div>It is terrible for the woman, her family, their son and for him to have become the killer as well as to his own family to face this drama.....</div><div>Horrible news !</div>

[jbrewer]

"In a re-enactment of the murder carried out earlier, Mr Fanelli told officers that he carried the suitcase in front of him while he rode his motorbike to where he dumped Wanphen’s body off Chao Fa Thani Rd in Wichit.

Ms Wanphen’s wrists and ankles were found broken, apparently so her body could be stuffed into the suitcase."

I guess this just says it all. I hope he lives to suffer for what he did.

[jc7]

What a crazy story.

I googled his name and found this interview with him back when he played poker. A bit irrelevant but some people might be interested:

Actually, just watched all of it. It is relevant, the guys mad!

Edited July 19, 2010 by jc7

[jfchandler]

I can see it coming now... the new "I was drunk and lost my Internet" defense...

As I said the other day, only in Thailand: now it's bargirl playfully asks for sex, and drunk guy responds by stabbing her to death.

[NanLaew]

For those who scoff at the insidious effects of internet addiction; it was never was claimed to be the motive here but may be construed as a contributing factor or the 'straw that broke the proverbial...' Everyone has a tipping point.

How many TV'ers have blown a fuse when their internet goes wonky? Be honest now, or should we ask your partners for their opinion?

[jackr]

He has committed murder and should be treated the same as any Thai that commits the same crime at home.

Lets hope not because if he's treated the same, there's a good chance he'll walk if he has the right connections.

[jackr]

This man saw the bar girl as something less than he was, and the murder was a show of power -

And you know of this because... ?

The guy is clearly mentally unstable and may just have snapped when she demanded paying.

[garyh]

So a "MADYANK" killed the Thai woman?

[scania]

He has committed murder and should be treated the same as any Thai that commits the same crime at home.

there are many Thai murders walking the streets of Thailand after only serving very short sentances...... ( and some without even serving a prison sentance )

Couldn´t agree more with you Boater, even I know a guy who just finished his sentence couple of months ago but never went to prison, he was just suppose to keep low profile and was not allowed to travel abroad.

He had cash and a good lawyer ;-)

[peecee]

<br>

He has committed murder and should be treated the same as any Thai that commits the same crime at home.

<br><br>there are many Thai murders walking the streets of Thailand after only serving very short sentances...... ( and some without even serving a prison sentance )<br>

<br><br>The Thai's who kill a farrang regularly use the "he insulted the monarchy/flag" ploy & get a much lighter sentence.<br>

[shiatsuman]

This man saw the bar girl as something less than he was, and the murder was a show of power -

And you know of this because... ?

The guy is clearly mentally unstable and may just have snapped when she demanded paying.

and your particular spin on it is more accurate?

it certainly demeans and dehumanises the deceased

[Tanaka]

"It was an accident" Very probable. There was a case in a court in Ireland many years ago where a man was accused of stabbing another man to death in a pub. When the judge asked him how it happened he said. "Well, you see your honour, it was an accident. The poor man stumbled and fell on my knife. 37 times!"

Edited July 19, 2010 by Tanaka

[animatic]

Phuket City Police Superintendent Wanchai Ekpornpit told reporters after the press conference that several factors appeared to have contributed to Mr Fanelli's mental state at the time of the stabbing: he was drunk; his Thai wife had left him and taken their young child back to her native Maha Sarakham province in Isarn. He had also recently lost his Internet connection, he noted

i think with out a question of a doubt they have there man... but to use the fact he lost his internet connection as a motive to commit murder is insane...

Communication withdrawal pains.

Maybe he was on Thai Visa or another board, and got addicted

and when his connection broke so did his tenuous grasp on reality.

A woman stabbed to death for playfully asking for sex... in Thaland...

The mind boggles...

And his certainly must have been wound up to a fare thee well.

Seems his mental state and the wife leaving might be connected.

A crying shame and a total waste.

[SanSaiExPat]

Even after committing crime, he remained in the Kingdom. shows how intelligent is this man.

and these very guys are deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan....

i have no mercy for this man and he actually should have chosen death penalty then to have spend rest of his life in Thai jail.

RIP to the poor lady who perhaps sending money to her poor parents.

What are you trying to imply by saying, "these very guys are deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan..." What the hel_l does that mean? Would you care to elaborate?

[thaikahuna]

He has committed murder and should be treated the same as any Thai that commits the same crime at home.

Lets hope not because if he's treated the same, there's a good chance he'll walk if he has the right connections.

This is the only place I have been where one accused and booked for capital murder can bond out of jail. Money talks....