Steven Timothy Rowe has been arrested in
connection with the murder of 19-year-old Anusra Paja.
Boonlua Chatree
The American teacher wanted for allegedly killing his Buriram girlfriend has
been captured in Issan, more than three months after allegedly stuffing her
body into a garbage bag and leaving it atop a South Pattaya restaurant.
Steven Timothy Rowe, 48, was captured by Chonburi and Udon Thani police in
the northeastern town of Makkhaeng June 7. Police found on him a passport
belonging to 19-year-old Anusra Paja, who disappeared from her room above
the Sita Lanna hair-extension shop near Tukcom Feb. 15.
Rowe was charged with murder and hiding Anusra’s body, which was discovered
March 19 by restaurant owner Virawan Yiewsae, 40, while investigating the
smell.
Pattaya Police said the girl was reported missing failing to join a group of
friends on a February trip to Koh Larn. Anusra had gone back to her
apartment to get clothing, but her boyfriend was waiting for her outside the
room.
Aunt Dao Bunsawat told police that Anusra had been seeing Rowe for several
months, but recently had begun distancing herself and seeing other men.
This, she claimed, enraged the American man more than twice her age, causing
numerous serious fights.
Police alleged that Rowe killed the teen after having sex by knocking her
out then taping her mouth with purple tape and tying her into a blanket with
a belt before stuffing her in the garbage bag. He then went out a window and
over a low wall to hide the girl on the restaurant’s roof, where she likely
suffocated to death, the police chief claimed.
Investigators said last week that Rowe had then quit his job as a teacher at
English and Computer College in Bangkok and had wandered around Thailand
before being caught in Udon Thani.
