Sa Kaeo — A mother and one of her 10-year-old twin sons were both found battered to death early Thursday at a house in Sa Kaeo's Khao Chakhan district.
The victims were identified as Boonmee Oxnum, 50, the home owner, and her twin son Boose. Both were subjected to a frenzied attack, police said.
The other twin, Jackson, survived the attack and named one of his mother's employees as the killer, they said.
Boonmee was found in the kitchen with a rope around her neck and had multiple injuries to her head and body, Pol Lt Wichien Nonboon, a police investigator from Khao Chakhan police said.
Boose was found lying face down in the garage. He too suffered multiple injuries to the head and body, he said.
The head injuries were the likely cause of their deaths, Pol Lt Wichien said.
The bodies were sent to Khao Chakhan Hospital for autopsies to find out the exact cause.
He said the other twin, Jackson, suffered serious injuries but was able to escape the house and seek help from a neighbour.
He is now being treated in hospital.
Pol Lt Wichien said he was alerted to the crime early yesterday morning by village headman Nikom Sisamran, who told him the murders took place about 2am.
Mr Nikom received a phone call from a neighbour after Jackson ran to him for help, the police officer said.
Jackson told the neighbour his mother had been attacked by Somchai Tabnet, 44, one of her employees, he said.
Mr Nikom, Jackson and the neighbour went to the house and called out to the mother, but no one answered, Pol Lt Wichien said.
Police arrived soon after, gained entry to the house and found the bodies, he said.
An arrest warrant has been issued and a manhunt is now on for the capture of Mr Somchai, Pol Lt Wichien said.
Interviews with the dead woman's neighbours revealed she and Mr Somchai had quarrelled on several occasions, Pol Lt Wichien said.
Boonmee was married to an Australian with whom she had the twin sons, and was wealthy.
She hired Mr Somchai to work for her in her fruit orchards in the district, investigators said.
Her husband, who works in Australia, usually visits his wife and children once a month, police said.