Son-in-law from hell confesses to murdering his estranged wife and her elderly parents after police say they caught him burglarising their home for a third time. He buried all three in a Nakhon Sawan cassava field before fleeing to Pattaya, where he was arrested.
The son-in-law from hell has confessed to murdering his estranged former partner and her elderly parents after police say he returned to their Nakhon Sawan home for a third burglary, before burying their bodies in a remote cassava field and fleeing to Pattaya. Investigators allege the triple killing ended months of escalating thefts, with CCTV evidence, an abandoned pickup truck, a rapid three-province manhunt and the suspect’s confession leading Crime Suppression Division officers to the hidden graves less than 48 hours after the family was reported missing.
A former son-in-law confessed to killing his ex-partner and her elderly parents before burying their bodies in a cassava field in Nakhon Sawan, police said on Thursday. Investigators allege the triple murder erupted after the family caught him burglarising their home for a third time.
The suspect, 42-year-old Samart Prueksa, was arrested at a Pattaya hotel late on Wednesday before leading Crime Suppression Division (CSD) officers to the clandestine grave.
The victims were identified as Huai Sita, 78, his wife Tim Sita, 69, and their 43-year-old daughter Piwatporn Sita, who had previously been in a relationship with Samart. Their disappearance triggered a fast-moving investigation stretching across three provinces. Within less than two days, police had tracked the suspect, secured a confession and recovered all three bodies.
Police trace suspect through CCTV before Pattaya arrest after family’s mysterious disappearance
The investigation began on Tuesday after the village headman in Moo 8, Phaisali district, reported the family missing. Officers from Phaisali Police Station immediately searched the property. What they found raised immediate suspicion.
The front door was locked from the outside. No one was inside. Moreover, CCTV wiring had been cut or damaged. Investigators also found forced entry through a partition leading into the kitchen.
Despite the damaged surveillance system, officers recovered surviving CCTV footage. It showed Samart entering the house at about 2.30am on Tuesday, before later driving away. Initially, investigators believed the family had been abducted. In response, Phaisali police requested assistance from the Crime Suppression Division to widen the search.
According to Pol Maj Gen Pattanasak Bubphasuwan, commander of the Crime Suppression Division, investigators quickly pieced together the suspect’s movements. They discovered Samart abandoned his pickup truck beside Rapeepat Canal Road in the Khlong Luang district of Pathum Thani. He then travelled south to Pattaya. There, police said, he rented a hotel room in Nong Prue, Bang Lamung district, and attempted to disappear.
Hanuman officers arrest suspect before Crime Suppression Division launches recovery mission
However, the escape lasted only hours. Officers from the Hanuman Special Operations Unit located the hotel and arrested Samart shortly before midnight on Wednesday. He was taken into custody and questioned by Crime Suppression Division investigators. During interrogation, police said he admitted killing all three victims between June 29 and June 30 before hiding their bodies.
As part of the investigation, senior Crime Suppression Division officers immediately organised a recovery operation. At about 12.30pm on Thursday, Samart was escorted back to Nakhon Sawan under heavy police guard.
The operation was led by Pol Maj Gen Suwat Saengnum, deputy commander of the Crime Suppression Division, alongside Pol Maj Gen Pattanasak Bubphasuwan. Also present were Pol Col Pathak Khwannana, deputy commander of the division, Pol Col Eksit Pansitha, superintendent of Division 4, Hanuman Special Operations officers, Division 4 investigators, rescue personnel and forensic specialists.
The suspect led officers into a cassava plantation at Khok Taknam village, Moo 6, tambon Khok Duea, in Phaisali district. According to investigators, the burial site lay only one to two kilometres from the victims’ home.
Rescue teams recover three buried bodies after suspect directs police to a remote cassava plantation grave
Rescue workers then began digging where Samart pointed. Before long, they uncovered the bodies of all three victims buried beneath the soil. The remains were removed for forensic examination while investigators secured the scene.
According to police, Samart admitted he had previously lived with Piwatporn before the relationship ended. He also acknowledged being unemployed, penniless and wanted under an outstanding theft warrant. Investigators said he decided to return to the family’s house, intending to steal money again.
Before entering, police said, he deliberately disabled the CCTV system. He removed the memory card and damaged the surveillance equipment. He then entered through the kitchen. Once inside, he armed himself with a kitchen knife. According to investigators, he tucked the weapon into his waistband for protection while carrying out the burglary.
Instead, the burglary unravelled within moments. Police said the three victims unexpectedly came out and confronted him inside the house. Samart told investigators one of them grabbed a traditional Thai sword. He claimed they threatened him. He then admitted to stabbing all three victims. During questioning, he described the killings as self-defence. Detectives are continuing to examine that claim against forensic evidence and crime scene findings.
Police say suspect buried victims before fleeing as earlier burglaries were revealed during questioning
After the stabbings, police said Samart loaded the bodies into his pickup truck. He drove them to the nearby cassava plantation before digging graves. Investigators allege he buried all three victims in an attempt to erase the evidence. He then left the area before abandoning his pickup truck in Pathum Thani and fleeing to Pattaya.
Separately, investigators uncovered evidence linking Samart to two earlier burglaries at the same house. Police said he admitted to breaking into the property on April 21 and stealing 114,000 baht. He allegedly returned again on May 8 and escaped with another 32,000 baht. Detectives believe those thefts emboldened him to target the family once more.
Notably, investigators believe the third burglary ended very differently. Instead of leaving with cash, police allege Samart killed all three occupants after they interrupted him. He then transported the bodies to the cassava field and buried them before fleeing the province.
Forensic work continues as detectives verify the confession and rebuild timeline of the triple murder case
In parallel, forensic officers continued examining the victims’ home throughout Thursday. Investigators are comparing blood evidence, CCTV material, physical exhibits and the suspect’s confession. They are also reconstructing the movements of both the victims and the suspect before and after the killings.
Meanwhile, autopsies will establish the precise causes of death and provide further forensic evidence. Officers are also examining evidence recovered from the abandoned pickup truck and tracing the suspect’s route after leaving Nakhon Sawan.
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On another front, investigators are verifying every detail of Samart’s confession through witness statements and forensic analysis. Police have not indicated whether additional charges will follow as the inquiry continues.
Within less than 48 hours of the family being reported missing, investigators had transformed a missing persons case into a triple murder investigation. They tracked the suspect across several provinces, arrested him in Pattaya, secured a confession and recovered the bodies from the shallow graves where police allege he buried them to conceal the killings.
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