Police investigating the murder of a teenage girl in Thailand's Pattaya have questioned the prime suspect over scratch marks found on his body, while the victim's grieving family has demanded the harshest punishment.
Colonel Anek Srathongyoo, Superintendent of Pattaya City Police Station, told ABC that the suspect, Carman, had fingernail scratches across his body that appeared consistent with signs of a struggle. However, he has denied any involvement in the teenager's killing.
Suspect questioned over injuries
In a police-recorded video, investigators asked Carman about the visible scratch marks. He responded by claiming they were caused by a spider, saying, "I think it's a spider; they always get in here."
The victim, identified as Donhomla, was the only child of her family and lived with her father and stepmother in Kalasin province, about 480 kilometres northeast of Pattaya. Nicknamed "Cake", the teenager had informed her parents that she was travelling to Pattaya with a friend for a holiday and left home on June 16.
Family demands justice
Her father, Thongchai Donhomla, said he was devastated by the loss of his daughter. He described her as a caring child who had grown up without her biological mother and often worked hard to fulfil her own needs while supporting him whenever possible.
The teenager's stepmother, Oradee Bussarakum, said the family had feared the worst while waiting for news and was now overwhelmed with grief. Expressing anger over the case, she called for the suspect to receive the maximum punishment, adding that she had even asked police if she could confront and beat him herself.
