Two soldiers and one policeman have been sentenced to death for the murder of a woman in Kanchanaburi in 2016.
Supaksorn: Buried in Kanchanaburi
The Taling Chan Provincial Criminal Court on Thursday sentenced Lt Chaiyut Benjachart, 44, Sgt Maj 1st Class Phanumet Meela, 35, and Pol Snr Sgt Maj Samat Saengsin, 51, to death for murdering Supaksorn "Ying" Polthaisong, a restaurant worker, and burying her body four years ago.
They were all convicted of premeditated murder with intent to conceal a body.
According to the police investigation, the trio and four others, who included a former superintendent of Ban Pong police station in Ratchaburi, conspired in the abduction of Supaksorn, who was 28 at the time, from the Buddha Monthon 4 area of Thailand before killing her and burying her body in Kanchanaburi.
Among the other four, the Taling Chan Provincial Court last year handed the death sentence to Niwat Suaythong, 32, and Phumthat Piboonsawat, 24.
However, their sentences were later commuted to life imprisonment due to their confession and useful testimonies in court.
Two other defendants were also jailed: Pol Col Amnuay Pongsawat, 61, the former superintendent of Ban Pong police, for 15 years, and Sanong Somsit, 54, for 10 years. Pol Col Amnuay had hired those in uniform to kill Supaksorn whom he alleged had been romantically involved with a singer he had been seeing.
On Thursday, the court also ordered Lt Chaiyut, Sgt Maj 1st Class Phanumet and Pol Snr Sgt Maj Samat to pay 1.6 million baht plus 7.5% interest in compensation to the victim's family.