Kompong Thom police crack case of the missing ‘second wife’

Niem Chheng | Publication date 22 June 2018 | 10:31 ICT

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Local authorities arrested a man who is the suspected killer of his second wife. Police

Provincial police in Kampong Thom on Wednesday claimed to have solved the case surrounding the dead woman who was unearthed in Baray district’s Krova commune.

Tith Somnang, provincial deputy police chief, told The Post on Thursday that reports came in the day before about a foul stench coming from a cashew farm owned by Orn Le, 53.

The ground where the stench came from also seemed to have been disturbed.

After securing permission from Provincial Prosecutor Ith Sothea, the spot was excavated and the body of the woman, believed to be 36-year-old Tep Sawai, was discovered. Her hands and feet were bound with rope.

Villagers mentioned that Le’s second wife had been missing for three days.

“After digging the pit, a body of a woman named Tieb Sawai, also known as Thea, 36, was found. Her arms and legs were tied by ropes. There were marks on her neck like she was strangled to death . . . Orn Le was suspected and detained at the Kampong Thom Provincial Police Station,” Somnang said.

He said under questioning, the suspect confessed to killing the victim. He claimed he had become angry that she wanted to separate from him after realising that he would not divorce his wife for her.

The suspect has four children with his first wife.

The victim’s body was cremated on Thursday while Le was charged with premeditated murder by provincial justice officials.

Somnang said Le would face between 30 years and life in prison.

Kampong Thom Provincial Court spokesman Say Nora told The Post that the suspect is still under court investigation.

A similar case occurred in Kampong Thom’s Prasat Sambo district two years ago after prosecutors excavated another body and found the murderer who was charged for the crime.