Rescue workers successfully recovered the body of "Teacher Lek," murdered by her nephew and dumped in an abandoned well 20 meters deep, covered with crushed stone. The corpse was decomposed and sent for autopsy before funeral rites alongside her sister, "Teacher Mam." Police remain skeptical that the suspect acted alone, continuing their investigation.
After the Ruamkatanyu rescue team halted their search for Ms. Jiraporn or Teacher Lek Puangmalai, aged 61, who was killed by her nephew along with her sister, Ms. Panomporn Puangmalai, aged 64, and dumped in a groundwater well at 11:30 p.m. on 16 Jan due to fatigue and darkness—and the rescuers detected a foul odor that raised hopes of finding the body—at 10:00 a.m. on 17 Jan, additional rescue forces reinforced the search, persistently planning and assessing the situation to continue the search for Teacher Lek, accompanied by over 10 fellow teachers who came to encourage the team.
Since yesterday morning, the first rescue team abseiled down the 18-meter-deep groundwater well to gradually remove crushed stone, placing it in buckets and using a pulley system to lift it out of the well amid difficulties. The unit chief lit incense and offered sweet and savory foods, paying respects to the spirits and calling upon Teacher Mam’s spirit to help find Teacher Lek’s body quickly. About 30 minutes later, rescuers discovered both of the ankles protruding, prompting joy among the fellow teachers, who were relieved to have found the body. Rescuers then rotated shifts to avoid fatigue and oxygen depletion, finding that the legs, torso, and head remained firmly lodged over 2 meters deeper, prompting them to revise their plan.
At 3:00 p.m., a specialized operations team abseiled down to verify and reassess the situation. This time, besides crushed stone, they found many pieces of black fiberboard covering Teacher Lek’s body, likely used to wrap the corpse before dumping it into the well. Rescuers had to carefully remove the stone and fiberboard obstructing the body amid limited oxygen at the bottom of the well, now over 20 meters deep. The well’s bottom was very narrow; it was believed that Teacher Lek’s head was wedged at the bottom. Nevertheless, the specialized team persisted, working urgently to retrieve the body before nightfall, which posed a significant obstacle.
Most recently, at 10:00 p.m., the search concluded successfully when rescue teams retrieved Teacher Lek’s body from the well. The corpse was decomposed with flesh missing but all body parts were recovered intact. Investigators from the Phatthananikom Police Station and forensic officers conducted an initial autopsy. The body was temporarily held at Phatthananikom Hospital and will be sent to the forensic institute along with Teacher Panomporn (Teacher Mam), whose body has been at the hospital since the discovery.
Police stated that their investigation is narrowing, with a key lead being the search for a six-wheeled truck carrying crushed stone covered with a tarp, seen passing through the area on 5 Jan, with an unknown license plate. This aligns with the suspect’s initial statement that he killed his aunt and auntie on 2 Jan and on 5 Jan hired a truck to deliver five cubic meters of crushed stone (each cubic meter weighing 1,650 kilograms) to cover the well and conceal the crime but could not recall from where. Finding the truck and driver could provide crucial clues about who accompanied the suspect when the stone was dumped. Police remain unconvinced that the suspect acted alone.