Russian man slain in Chalong, prime suspect flees the country
POLICE ARE TRYING TO track down a prime suspect in the killing of a 41-year-old Russian man whose body was found at a house in Chalong last week.
The prime suspect is believed to have already fled the country.
Police were called to the house in Soi Sai Nam Yen (or Soi Chao Fa 67), in Moo 6, Chalong, at 11:10am on Mar 13.
At the house, officers found the body of Artur Mkhitarian, 41, on the floor beside marjuana plants being grown at the home. He had suffered a fatal stab wound to the neck.
Officers noted signs of a struggle at the home, and estimated that Mr Mkhitarain had died some eight to 10 hours before his body was found.
The alarm was raised by Mr Mkhitarian’s wife, Anna, who filed a report to police after her husband had been missing for two days.
Police tracked down his rental car through the car’s GPS, and found it parked near the home.
Neighbours confirmed they had heard an argument at house on the night of Mar 12, but were not able to understand it and did not intervene.
Police noted that Mr Mkhitarian arrived in Phuket on visa exemption status on Jan 28 and was permitted to stay until Apr 26. He was initially registered as staying at Laguna Park in Cherng Talay.
His wife, Ms Anna, 32, told police that her husband had come to live in Thailand, along with his parents and two children, all living in Chalong. She last saw him around 5pm on Mar 12.
Police confirmed that Tajikistan national Bakhtovar Murozoda was renting the house where Mr Mkhitarian’s body was found.
Subsequent investigation by police, including witness testimony and CCTV footage in the area of the Chalong property before and after the incident, suggest that Murozoda was the only other person present when it occurred.
It showed that Murozoda had entered the house alone and that Mr Mkhitarain had done likewise sometime after. The CCTV footage then also showed Murozoda leaving the property alone with no sign of Mkhitarian.
Murozoda boarded a Turkish Airlines flight from Phuket to Istanbul on the night of Mar 12.
Police have been issued an arrest warrant for Murozoda and have liaised with Interpol in an effort to track the prime suspect for the offense of “intentionally killing another person” according to Section 288 of the Thai Criminal Code.
Eakkapop Thongtub