Police confirmed that the burned skeleton found in the landfill in the Isaan province of Khon Kaen was a female under 35 years old. A 66 year old Thai woman came to the police station believing that the skeleton belonged to her missing granddaughter.
A water delivery driver discovered the burned skeleton at a dump site in the Waeng Noi district of Khon Kaen on February 18. Long hairs and steel wires from car tyres were found at the spot, leading police to believe that the suspect used the tyres as fuel to burn the body.
Officers from the Khon Kaen Provincial Police reported yesterday, February 19, that the initial autopsy result showed that the burned skeleton belonged to a woman aged under 35 years old and had a height of about 165 centimetres.
Despite that, the autopsy was still unable to provide the exact identity of the woman and the cause of her death prior to being burned. Officers plan to review security cameras in the area and nearby to identify both the deceased and the suspect.
Following the questioning of locals living near the site, police believe the incident took place around 8pm on February 16 when more than 10 residents noticed flames coming from the garbage dump site.
A Thai woman, Jintana Thippawong, reported to police that she noticed that the flames were about 2 to 3 metres high from the landfill. The fire made her curious because authorities and locals had never burned trash at the spot before.
Suspicious man
Another local, identified only as A, reported that she met a suspicious Thai man on February 17. The man was not a local in the area, and she had never met him before. The man wore all-white attire, had short hair, and medium height.
A said she questioned the man about where he wanted to go and he responded that he would go to the Ban Kaeng Community in the Isaan province of Chaiyaphum. She offered drinking water to the man but he refused and walked toward a sacred shrine in the community called Don Pu Ta, 700 meters away from her home.
A added that she heard the man mumble or chant something that she could not understand on his way to the shrine. She believed that the man might have performed some ritual that night.
Missing woman
A 66 year old Thai woman, Noo Ladmo, reported to Waeng Noi Police Station yesterday, February 19, after seeing news about the burned skeleton. She believes that it might belong to her missing granddaughter, Piyanut Klaharn, who went missing on December 8 last year.
Noo revealed that Piyanut is 31 years old and about 151 centimetres tall, which was similar to the information released by the police.
Noo informed the police that she was unaware of Piyanut’s phone number and had no clue as to her whereabouts. She further stated that Piyanut had previously departed from home for extended periods but would maintain communication with Noo, a departure from the current situation.
Noo urged Piyanut to contact her if she is still alive. She said she would follow the police investigation closely while waiting for her granddaughter to get in touch.
ORIGINAL STORY: Mysterious burned human skeletons found in Isaan landfill
A Thai man discovered a burned human skeleton in a landfill in the Waeng Noi district of the Isaan province of Khon Kaen. The identity of the deceased and the cause of death are currently under investigation.
The man, a water delivery driver, stopped at the landfill yesterday, February 18, to urinate and came across the skeletons. He then reported the matter to Waeng Noi Police Station officers prompting further investigation into the deceased’s identity.
Upon examination by police officers and medical personnel, it was discovered that the dismembered skeleton had been burned leaving only hair on specific body parts. The deceased had long hair, yet determining the gender proved impossible. The dismembered skeleton was found encircled by steel wires, identified as fragments from car tyres.
Officers suspect that the criminals used the tyres as fuel to incinerate the body. The deceased had been subjected to burning for at least three days prior to its discovery. The skeletons are currently undergoing autopsy at Srinagarind Hospital of Khon Kaen University.
In an effort to identify the deceased, police have examined reports of missing persons and identified three relevant cases. However, confirmation regarding the connection between these cases and the discovered skeleton is pending investigation.
Deputy Community Head Chirtchai Nakhun told Thai PBS that the dump site was small and known among locals in the area only. Residents visited the dump site frequently to pick up recyclable materials for sale, but no one noticed the skeletons.
Chirtchai suspected that the deceased was murdered elsewhere before being transferred and burned at the scene. He and the community head are coordinating with officers to question residents and determine if anyone is missing.
A similar discovery occurred in December last year in the Bang Phra district of Chon Buri. A logistics company reported that its employees found a human leg bone compressed in recycling cardboard cubes delivered from the US. The skeleton part was believed to belong to a foreigner, but no update was reported on the case.
