An elderly Israeli man was detained by police for questioning after being accused of killing his own fellow countryman and entombing his incapacitated body in the toilet of the suspect’s rented house in Bang Bua Thong district, Nonthaburi province, on Saturday.
The suspect was identified as Shimon Biton, 50, who claimed to be a former Israeli policeman like the victim, 50-year old, Eliyahu Cohen.
Police investigation stemmed from a complaint from the Israeli embassy in Bangkok on Friday to help trace Eliyahu Cohen who went missing after he was last seen leaving his apartment room at Thanakorn condominium on Charunsanitwong road in Bangplad district on November 9.
Crime Suppression Division police immediately launched the investigation by first visiting Thanakorn condominium to check footages of CCTV system and they found Cohen leaving the condominium at about 10 am of November 9 in a grey Toyota Yaris with license plate No Khor Thor 3926.
With the bank cooperation, police found several transactions were being done with the victim’s bank account at an ATM at Big C Rattanathibet modern trade store on November 9. They checked the CCTV system at the store and found the suspect, Biton, and his 17-year old son using the victim’s credit card to buy several items for household use which included black plastic bags, mothball, razor blade.
The suspect was also seen buying a big luggage from the same store, but there was problem with the credit card when payment was rejected.
The CSD police investigating team found out the suspect and his son were staying at a rented house in Bang Bua Thong. Armed with a court’s search warrant, CSD police went to the house on Saturday for a search.
When the police entered the house, they were struck by a strong stench of something rotting emitting from the toilet under the staircase. Traces of newly-paved cement were also found.
Police smashed through the sealed toilet and found the decapitated body of the victim.
After being interrogated by the police, the suspect admitted he killed the victim out of jealousy whom he accused of having an affair with his Thai girlfriend.
Police later detained the suspect’s son for interrogation to find out whether he was involved in the grisly murder or not. The victim’s car was later found abandoned beside the Bang Kruey-Sai Noi highway in Bang Bua Thong district.
