In Kamphaeng Phet, a 48-year-old woman who owned a community radio station went missing from her home for three days before her body was found in a pond, with no hair on her head, raising fears of a murder cover-up.
According to reports circulating on social media, a photo and a missing person announcement were shared for Ms. Rosmalin Disakorn, known as Pete, age 48, who disappeared from her home at around 07:30 on 30 Aug 2016. CCTV footage near the Sugarcane Growers Association (next to her house) captured Ms. Rosmalin wearing a pink T-shirt and dark blue shorts walking by that morning. Relatives reported her missing to the Khanu Woralaksaburi Police Station, Kamphaeng Phet, as well as the Sawang Kamphaeng Phet Rescue Team at Pattra, and the Khanu Woralaksaburi Municipality Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Office. Together with locals, they searched all day but found no trace.
Later, at 09:00 on 1 Sep 2016, Police Lieutenant Komsit Supin, deputy investigator at Khanu Woralaksaburi Police Station, was notified by the municipality’s disaster prevention officers and Sawang rescue team at Pattra that Ms. Rosmalin’s body had been found face down in a pond about one rai in size on abandoned land about 200 meters from the road in Moo 2, Saento Subdistrict, Khanu Woralaksaburi District. The body emitted a strong foul odor, the head was bald with no hair, and she was still wearing the pink T-shirt and dark blue shorts seen in the CCTV footage of her disappearance.
Forensic officers inspected the scene to collect evidence and noted that the overgrown area leading down to the pond was unusually flattened. The body had no remaining hair and showed signs of being gnawed by unknown animals, with scratch marks on the face and body, but no signs of physical assault.
Locals said Ms. Rosmalin lived alone with her 19-year-old son. She used to own community radio station FM 104 near the Sugarcane Growers’ Cooperative in Khanu and had suffered from depression for 10 years. She habitually walked daily along the community roads but never ventured into isolated areas. After she disappeared, the community searched for her until they found her body at the site. They expressed suspicion that she would not have walked to that spot on her own, especially since her head was completely bald, raising concerns she might have been attacked and her body dumped there to cover up a crime.
Police have not ruled out any possibilities. Initially, they assigned the Sawang Kamphaeng Phet Rescue Team at Pattra to transport the body for a thorough autopsy at the forensic department of Sawan Pracharak Hospital (Khao Khiao) in Nakhon Sawan Province. The autopsy results will be used to support the case, and if evidence suggests a staged murder, investigators will gather further proof to identify and prosecute those responsible.
Mr. Niran Nipon, 42, a disaster prevention officer at Khanu Woralaksaburi Municipality and the first to find the body, said he had participated in the search with others for over two days. When searching the area, they noticed sliding marks leading into a wide area where they then found the body face down in the water, emitting a foul odor. He said it seemed unlikely the deceased had walked there by herself, as she usually only walked along roads. The cause of death will be determined by forensic experts.
Ms. Sarinee Ngamkham, 34, the Facebook user who posted the missing person announcement three days earlier, said after the search led to the discovery of the body, she suspected the death might be a homicide. The deceased usually did not enter isolated places but stayed on roads and returned home daily. Her disappearance for more than a day was unusual. The location where the body was found raised many questions, and she did not believe it was an accident or natural death. If the autopsy shows the body was not moved there to hide a crime, then doubts will be resolved.