Ex-Army man arrested for murder of teen

Wicharn Noosikhon, 53, was arrested from his house in Songkhla province’s Thep district on Tuesday night and taken to Muang Trang Police Station for interrogation.
Pol Colonel Eknarong Sawatkanon, commander of the police station, said Wicharn had admitted to killing Nottharit Suwanno, 17, and dumping his body into Lam Phura canal in Muang Trang district,
The body of the boy was found on September 26.
Wicharn said he had acted alone in the murder, which he said he committed out of rage after he returned home with his wife to find the boy had allegedly assaulted his 16-year-old daughter and was trying to rape her. He said the two used to be classmates and the boy came to their house that day on the pretext of trying a new facial cream.
Wicharn reportedly admitted that he beat up the boy, suffocated him with a pillow, and tied his arms and legs, and drove him away in his pickup. He said he planned to dump the body into the sea but he had no opportunity. He later drove to the area next to Phatthalung province to dump the body in a ravine but since there were passing vehicles he drove to the Trang canal.
Wicharn said he shot the boy in the forehead once before dumping his body into the canal.
He said his wife and daughter had nothing to do with the murder but his daughter had to drop out of school for fear of reprisal from the boy’s family.