Thailand’s murder case involving two Russian siblings and a Thai family of three could warrant the death penalty if the legal criteria are met, a senior prosecutor says, while a criminologist has described the accused as fitting the profile of a serial killer.
The comments come after police arrested two suspects in the killings of two Russian siblings. Their confessions later led investigators to uncover the bodies of a Thai family of three buried in a coconut plantation. The case has prompted widespread calls for the death penalty.
Dr Trynh Phoraksa, assistant dean for academic services at Mahidol University’s Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities and a specialist in criminology and behavioural psychology, said the suspect known as “Pong” meets the characteristics of a serial killer.
According to Trynh, the number of victims and the period over which the crimes were committed place the suspect within the definition of a serial killer.
He said offenders of this nature should not be allowed to return to society. While some countries impose life imprisonment and others retain capital punishment for the most serious crimes, Trynh argued that reducing the sentence of someone who repeatedly kills would fail to protect the public.
Trynh also rejected suggestions that the suspect could claim mental illness as a defence. He pointed to efforts to conceal the crimes, dispose of the bodies, bury the victims and evade capture as evidence that the offender understood his actions.
The criminologist added that the suspect also displays traits commonly associated with psychopathy, including a lack of remorse, a lack of empathy, habitual lying, risk-taking behaviour and repeated violations of the law.
“We also need to examine whether our investigation and arrest process was too slow. If the suspect had been arrested after the first offence, there would never have been a second or third.
“We didn’t even know there was another family of three. If investigators had not uncovered the two Russian siblings, we would never have discovered them. We need to strengthen our investigation and arrest procedures and make them faster.”
PPTV reported that senior prosecutor Poramet Intharachumnum also weighed in on public calls for capital punishment, explaining that Thai law allows prosecutors to seek the death penalty in cases involving particularly cruel acts, premeditation, offences against parents or conduct showing habitual criminal behaviour.
Poramet said the case has had a significant impact on society and Thailand’s reputation, meaning prosecutors could seek the death penalty. However, he stressed that the final decision rests with the court after the judicial process has run its course.
The senior prosecutor also addressed questions over whether the suspect’s confession could result in a lighter sentence. He explained that the court would consider whether the confession was made voluntarily or only after the accused was confronted with overwhelming evidence.
“Was the crime cruel? Was it premeditated? Was it committed by a habitual offender? If those elements are established, I believe the court would impose the death penalty. The question is whether the court will give weight to the confession.”
“Whether the court reduces the sentence depends on whether the accused confessed voluntarily or only after investigators presented the evidence. If the confession came only after the evidence was laid out, it is regarded as surrendering to the evidence, and the court may decide not to grant a sentence reduction.”
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