Police trace DNA in Friendship Beach murder

RAWAI: The case originally described by police as a daylight rape-murder at Friendship Beach is being reexamined, as police found no trace of a struggle near the body of motorbike taxi driver Tada Sa-nguansak.

Police report that they have sent DNA samples found at the scene to Bangkok for DNA tests against potential suspects. So far two suspects have been cleared.

K. Tada, 45, was found dead on the beach on June 28. Forensic tests show she had sex with an unnamed man not long before her throat was slit, but since there were no signs of a struggle police now say they believe she knew her attacker.

Pol Col Chalit Kaewyarat, Superintendent of Chalong Police Station, told the Gazette, “We sent DNA samples from many suspects to the forensic science lab in Bangkok. The first two suspects have been cleared, and we are now awaiting the results from the sample of the last man she is known to have been with.”

K. Tada had served a sentence in Phuket Provincial Prison for drug offenses, then worked as a motorbike taxi driver upon her release.

“We did not find any traces of a struggle at the scene, but the autopsy revealed that she had sex just before she died on the beach. We don’t believe this is a rape-murder case, but we are still investigating,” Col Chalit said.

“We know she didn’t take her motorcycle to the scene, and we think she must have gone there with someone she was close to.”

Col Chalit said that police were still investigating details in the case, but added that they were mostly relying on the results of the DNA tests being carried out in Bangkok.