Thai Authorities Investigate Potential Links Between Australian Murder Suspect and Unsolved Cold Cases
Thai police are investigating if an Australian man charged with murdering a 17-year-old girl in Pattaya is linked to two other unsolved cold cases involving similar crime scenes.
Expanding Investigation into Pattaya Murder
Thai authorities are currently conducting a broader investigation to determine if 45-year-old Australian national Simon Peter Carman, who was recently charged with the murder of a 17-year-old girl, is linked to two other unsolved homicides in the region. The body of the victim, Thunchanok Donhomla, was discovered inside a suitcase near railway tracks in Pattaya on the morning of June 27, 2026.
Chilling Similarities in Crime Scenes
Police Colonel Anek Srathongyoo, the superintendent of the Pattaya City police station, confirmed that officials are examining potential connections to similar cases reported within the past two years. While no definitive evidence currently links Carman to these previous incidents, investigators are highlighting striking similarities in the modus operandi, specifically that the victims’ bodies were discovered inside suitcases. Furthermore, the victims in those cold cases are suspected to have been involved in the local adult industry, and like Donhomla, were found stripped of clothing.
Timeline of Events
Evidence gathered through CCTV footage provided a clear timeline of the final hours of the victim. Footage captured Donhomla and Carman walking hand-in-hand in the lobby of a Jomtien Beach condominium in the early hours of Thursday, June 25. While subsequent footage showed the suspect leaving the property to purchase food, the victim was never observed exiting the building. Later that day, surveillance cameras recorded Carman departing the condominium with a large suitcase on a motorcycle, returning shortly after without the luggage.
Arrest and Ongoing Inquiry
Carman was apprehended at Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok on June 27 as he attempted to depart the country. Initially providing false accounts of the victim’s departure, he reportedly confessed to the killing following an argument after being confronted with the evidence found in the suitcase. The medical examiner indicated that there were no signs of physical trauma or battery, suggesting the cause of death was likely suffocation. The investigation continues as local police coordinate with regional departments to cross-reference evidence from the unsolved murders in the Huay Yai and Ban Chang districts.
