Three men are still suspected of the murder of Simen Sparre Knudsen at Phuket in Thailand. But the police lacks technical evidence linking them to the crime scene, writes the Norwegian Newspaper Aftenposten.no
It has been more than a year since Simen Sparre Knudsen (47) were killed on a country road from Kata to Rawai in Phuket in Thailand. Shortly after the murder, two brothers was arrested by police in Phuket, suspected of murdering the Norwegian family father. And a third man was also suspected of taking part in the murder, but he still remains free.
The local police believe the three men attacked and robbed Knudsen on the way home to her family. All the suspects are known to have been behind attacks and robberies on the country road before.
But since the police investigation started, it has not moved any closer to a breakthrough in the case. Aftenposten.no has learned that the police do not have any technical evidence that connect any of the three main suspects to the murder of the Norwegian citizen Knudsen. No DNA or any murder weapons.
“There is nothing new to tell about”, said investigation leader Sirisak Wasasiri to Aftenposten.no.
The police probably need to build their case on the single suspect, who admitted the murder shortly after he was arrested. He has however withdrawn his confession, advised by his lawyer.
The general rule in Thailand is that a case should be closed if it is not brought to justice within a year after the crime I committed. But in serious cases police have the option to extend the investigation period. The police in Phuket have not chosen to close the case and thus they must seek a judge each month to get an extension of the investigation period.
One of the three suspects are still jailed in a youth prison in Phuket. He was transferred to the Youth Educational Center in the town of Surat Thani February 7, 2008. His younger brother, who then was only 16 years old, got out of the youth prison pending a trial.
The third of the suspects are still free. The police have the man’s identity. But so far police have not managed to track him down. It is hoped that he can give the police a breakthrough in the case.
Simen Knudsen was killed when he was riding on the moped, going home to his wife and son in Rawai. The police believe that the attackers followed him on MC, plunged him of mopeds, and then stabbed and robbed him. The road between Kata and Rawai has been haunted by a series of attacks on foreign tourists in recent years. The local authorities are still struggling with a number of robberies and muggings of foreign tourists on this route.
