Durban - The ex-wife of a South African, whose bullet-riddled body was found dumped next to a shallow grave, has confessed to killing him, Thailand's police said on Thursday.
Police Chief Lt-Gen Nares Nanphathote told Sapa Oswald Heinrich Duvel’s ex-wife and her mother had confessed to the murder.
The 50-year old's body was discovered in the foothills of Saraburi province, north of Bangkok, on Sunday morning.
He was wearing only his underpants and a wristwatch and was lying next to a partially dug grave.
Nanphathote said that the killing appeared to be “a conflict of the family, about the son”.
Duvel had been involved in an ongoing custody battle with his ex-wife in the Thai courts.
The South African left his Bangkok home on Saturday morning, but did not return.
Nanphathote said in broken English his information was that the ex-wife had invited him to sit in her Toyota Fortuner with her mother to discuss a custody agreement.
Unbeknown to Duvel, a third person was lying behind the back seat and as they talked, he allegedly fired the three fatal shots.
Nanphathote described the man as the “new-husband”.
On its website, the Thai Rath newspaper quoted other police sources on Thursday as saying the man was an adopted brother of Duvel’s ex-wife.
The Thai language Daily News website showed pictures of the 32-year old ex-wife and a picture of the man, whom it described as the brother, in handcuffs in the back of the Toyota Fortuner.
The website also carried pictures of the black Toyota Fortuner.
According to the report, there was a bullet hole in the windshield and there was blood on the rear seats.
Nanphathote said he was hoping the mother of Duvel’s ex-wife would turn State witness when the case went to court. - Sapa