Police sergeant in suspected murder-suicide

Police Sergeant Napapat Nuan-eiad’s body was found on Friday with blunt force trauma to the head, two days after she was killed, inside the room where the couple stayed for three months. 

Napapat, 29, had missed work for two days without prior notice, so her colleagues were suspicious and sent someone to check on her. They found her body but her husband, Police Sergeant Natthapong Nuan-eiad, was missing. 

Police spokesman Pol Lt Gen Prawut Thavornsiri said Natthapong used to work at Somyot’s office during the time Somyot was a deputy national police chief but the hot tempered Natthapong was later transferred to his affiliation command. 

Napapat had asked for a transfer to Uthai Thani Highway Police command, and Natthapong had sought the same transfer, Prawut said. But the 31-year-old Natthapong found out that his name was not on the transfer list, so he was reportedly angry and argued with his wife, committed the crime and fled, Prawut said. He said Somyot’s old name card was pinned to a tree near Natthapong’s body. He said Natthapong might have felt slighted. 

Napapat’s elder sister Pichaporn Boonrung said Napapat had been with Natthapong for two years and registered their marriage last May. “As far as I know, the man was hot tempered and jealous so he often argued with my sister to the point of assault once,” she said. 

The police autopsy found her sister was strangled and hit on the head with a blunt object and sustained a right eye socket bruise, she said. Her body will be taken to Lop Buri province for her funeral. 

In Nakhon Ratchasima, Natthapong’s aunt Ratree Phothai said her nephew was normally calm and tidy and she didn’t believe he would kill himself to avoid punishment, as local police suspect. 

Natthapong was believed to have died a day before his body was discovered. An autopsy will be done at Nakhon Ratchasima Hararat Hospital morgue.