Police Lieutenant Chakri Singhal named the man on Wednesday as Jerry Harris Bunker who has been married to a 33-year-old Thai woman from Chiang Mai for the last ten years. An autopsy was ordered at a local hospital and police are keeping an open mind even though there were no indications of foul play in the death.
A police investigation is underway in Chiang Mai after a fit and healthy 85-year-old American grandad was found dead behind his condo building on Wednesday at midday after falling from an open window of his seventh-floor unit. The man’s 33-year-old Thai wife, who was in an adjacent room, told police that her husband probably fell from the window while trying to clean it.
Police investigators in Chiang Mai have indicated that they are investigating the tragic death of an 85-year-old foreigner, an American citizen who appears to have fallen to his death on Wednesday from the seventh floor of his apartment in a condominium building in the Suthep sub-district of Chiang Mai City.
The man has been named as Jerry Harris Bunker.
Police called at 12.30 pm on Wednesday
Details of the case were given by Police Lieutenant Chakri Singhal after police were called to the location on Wednesday at 12.30 pm. The condominium building was located on Liab Klong Chonpratan Road.
Lieutenant Chakri interviewed the Thai wife of the American at the scene, 33-year-old Praweena Naphom Bunker.
Ms Praweena had been married to the American for over 10 years and described him as active and healthy despite his age.
American’s wife only learned of his death after residents in the building discovered his body
She told officers that she had only found out about the death of her husband from neighbours in the building when his body was discovered at around midday at the back of the complex.
She had risen earlier on Wednesday and gone to work in a room next door that the couple had recently purchased and renovated as an art studio.
She said she understood that her husband was relaxing in the room next door.
No sign of a struggle or violence to indicate foul play in the man’s death after police inspect condo
Police found no evidence of a weapon or foul play at the scene.
Investigators, on inspection of the condo from where the American appears to have fallen to his death, found no signs of struggle or commotion.
A glass window was open from where the man had fallen and his spectacles were located on a table nearby.
Police say that the man suffered severe injuries from his fall including massive trauma to the head causing his death.
He was found wearing a white T-shirt and navy shorts.
Wife believes her husband was engaged in his usual cleaning activities due to his active nature
Ms Praweena explained to officers that her husband was not prone to idleness or just sitting still and would often begin doing cleaning chores in the condo.
She told police that, once awake, her husband found it difficult not to be active.
She suggested that he was cleaning the windows when he became faint or somehow lost his balance leading to the tragedy. She told officers that he may have removed his glasses after finding something in his eye.
Police have indicated that they will be calling in Ms Praweena to give a full statement and have sent the body of the American, for an autopsy, to Maharaj Nakorn Chiang Mai Hospital.
This is understood to be routine procedure in a case like this.
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Further reading:
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