Police suspect murder in hanging death of retired Dutch teacher

Daily News reported that a retired Dutch teacher found hanged from a chicken coop next to a luxury house in Kamphaeng Phet in northern Thailand might have been murdered.  

Sixty one year old Herb Elmes (name transliterated from Thai) was found hanging outside a house that he shared with his 40 year old wife Cha-orn Elmes and her younger brother Precha Jaidee, 38. He was hanging from a nylon cord. Both his hands were secured with cable ties and there was evidence of bruising from injuries to the right side of his rib cage. Lt Col Yuthana Phuksuk of the Klong Khlung police and rescue services were called to the house in Ban Sap Manao in Wang Sai sub-district.

They determined that Herb had been dead for several hours. After the body was examined locally it was sent to Naret Phitsanuloke for a more detailed autopsy. Precha gave evidence that the couple had been married for two years. Four days ago they had argued and his sister had gone to Bangkok and not returned. He said that despite living in the same house he had little to do with Herb who kept himself to himself. It emerged that relatives of the deceased had been contacted by email and had been told that Herb wanted to kill himself as he could not contact his wife. 

The relatives contacted their embassy services who contacted the Thais. Through a Wang Sai official the local Phu Yai Ban was contacted and he went to the house to investigate. When he arrived the people there did not know where Herb was and the air-con was on in his bedroom. A search outside by the chicken coop found him hanging there. Police want to interview the wife and all concerned and have not ruled out murder in the case. They think this may have been a case of murder with a staged hanging to conceal the crime. Thai Rath further reported that the couple lived separate lives in the same two story house. They had separate bedrooms and other separate areas and kept themselves to themselves. They said that Herb was a kindly guy who like to teach the locals language and making robots. 

Thai Visa / Daily News | Thai Rath

Stay updated with Samui Times by following us on Facebook.