CHIANG RAI– Police have finally solved a chilling murder case that deeply shocked the local community. Officers arrested a close friend of the victim after scientific DNA evidence directly linked her to the crime.
The heartbreaking tragedy happened on May 28, 2026, in a remote forest within the Mae Chan district. The victim, known locally as Auntie Bua Kiao, was found dead, and her cash and gold necklace were entirely missing.
Key Takeaways
- Police arrested Ms. Sukkan for the tragic forest murder of her close friend, Auntie Bua Kiao, following a direct DNA match.
- The suspect strongly denies the serious charges, even though she suddenly paid off large gambling debts immediately after the crime.
- Authorities are officially denying bail and actively searching the suspect’s home to locate the victim’s missing gold necklace.
The brutal crime scene was located deep within the thick woods of Ban Pa Pao. This quiet, rural area sits inside the Mae Kham Subdistrict of the Chiang Rai province. Because the location was completely isolated from the village, police investigators faced major challenges from the start.
There were absolutely no eyewitnesses around to report the violent and sudden attack. Furthermore, the remote forest environment meant there were zero CCTV cameras to capture the suspect’s escape. This massive lack of direct evidence made the initial investigation incredibly difficult for the local authorities.
Despite these heavy odds, the “Night Wolf” investigative team simply refused to give up on the case. Led by Police Major General Manop Senakul, the Chiang Rai Provincial Police worked tirelessly around the clock. They meticulously collected every single piece of physical evidence left behind in the dark forest.
DNA Evidence Breaks the Cold Case
Police officers sent all the collected evidence to Forensic Science Center 5 for highly detailed DNA testing. Investigators also took the time to interview everyone who knew the victim or had recent contact with her. Furthermore, police collected DNA samples from all potential suspects to ensure an accurate scientific comparison.
On June 18, 2026, the careful forensic results finally came back with a crystal clear answer. The DNA samples perfectly matched a woman named Ms. Sukkan, who was a known associate of the victim. Armed with this undeniable scientific proof, police swiftly secured an official arrest warrant from the court.
Police Colonel Kiattisak Jitprasarn explained exactly how his team built a solid case without any eyewitnesses. He noted that the suspect intentionally provided a fake timeline of her daily movements on the day of the murder. This obvious lie, combined with the solid DNA match, gave the provincial court enough reason to approve the warrant.
Gambling Debts and Sudden Wealth
Even after her official arrest, Ms. Sukkan completely denied any involvement in the tragic murder. She firmly insists that she is innocent, despite the mounting forensic evidence clearly pointing in her direction. However, the grieving family of the victim remains completely convinced of the suspect’s undeniable guilt.
Relatives quickly pointed out that the suspect struggled with a very severe and well-known gambling problem. Everyone in the local village knew that Auntie Bua Kiao safely kept savings and wore a valuable gold necklace. The family strongly believes this obvious wealth made the innocent woman a prime target for the desperate suspect.
Adding to the growing suspicion, local villagers noticed a sudden and strange change in the suspect’s finances. Right after the violent murder, Ms. Sukkan started quickly paying off large debts with big sums of cash. Just one day before the terrible crime, she had been desperately asking to borrow small amounts of money from others.
A Betrayal Between Close Friends
This sudden and unexplained wealth seemed like a clear sign of guilt to the victim’s grieving family. The victim’s devastated daughter shared her profound heartbreak over the deep and unexpected betrayal. She explained that her beloved mother was an honest, hardworking woman who never had any real enemies.
The absolute hardest part for the mourning family is that the suspect was actually a very close friend. The two older women often spent quality time together and even went mushroom picking in that same forest. The daughter stated it is incredibly cruel that someone so close could violently kill a friend just for money.
The relieved family feels they are finally getting some real justice now that a formal arrest has been made. They promised to support the legal case to the very end to ensure the killer faces the maximum possible penalty. They desperately want to make sure a dangerous person is never allowed to freely harm anyone else again.
To protect the general public, dedicated police officers are taking very strict legal action against the suspect. Officers plan to transfer her directly to the Chiang Rai Provincial Court and will firmly oppose any future bail requests. Finally, they will thoroughly search her personal home to try to safely recover the stolen gold necklace.
