KHON KAEN: Police have laid two extra charges, concealing a body and theft of a motorcycle, against paroled serial killer Somkid Pumpuang, in addition to the premeditated murder of a woman at her home in Kranuan district last Sunday.
Pol Col Khajonrit Wongrat, chief of Kranuan police, said on Friday that Somkid, 55, was charged with concealment for using a blanket to wrap the body of Ratsami Mulichan, 51.
He was charged with theft for riding Ratsami's motorcycle when he fled from Khon Kaen to Buri Ram province after the murder.
Somkid was arrested on an Ayutthaya-bound train in Pak Chong district, Nakhon Ratchasima, on Wednesday. Police have charged him with strangling Ratsami in her house at Ban Mai Chai Mongkol, tambon Nong Ko in Khon Kaen's Kranuan district on Dec 15.
Police interrogated Somkid for another half hour at Kranuan station on Friday, then took him to Khon Kaen Provincial Court for permission to detain him for a further 12 days.
A crowd waiting outside the police station shouted curses at him as they left, and police had to prevent them attacking the suspect.
Pol Col Khajonrit said Somkid denied he had planned the murder beforehand, saying he had a quarrel and fight with the woman because he had arrived home late on Saturday.
On Sunday morning she had pulled his arm, scratched his face, bitten his fingers and thrown her underpants at his face. He said he became angry, pushed her onto her bed and strangled her, the station chief said.
She remained conscious and shouted for help from neighbours. Somkid said he was afraid of being arrested and so wrapped an electric wire and some adhesive tape around her neck to silence her.
The station chief said police had enough evidence to support the charge of premeditated charge already laid against him.
Somkid appeared smiling and comfortable at Kranuan police station when he was taken to Khon Kaen court.
He had been sentenced to life imprisonment for killing five women over several provinces in 2005, but was paroled in May this year.
Somkid got to know Ratsami via Facebook and moved in to live with her on Dec 2, claiming to be a lawyer.