The murder of Colombian surgeon Edwin Arrieta at the hands of Spanish chef Daniel Sancho last August has occupied hundreds of headlines and hours of television in recent months. Rodolfo Sancho’s son preventively entered Koh Samui prison on August 7, 2023, where he is still awaiting trial.
Throughout this time, both the accused and the Thai police have considered different options and versions of the crime. While the authorities of the Asian country are convinced that there was premeditation in the crime, Sancho assures that it was not something prepared.
Determining whether or not there was premeditation may be fundamental in the case, since in Thailand the death penalty still exists for different serious crimes (including aggravated murder).
Less than a month before the expected court date begins (the trial will begin on April 9), a forensic report has opened a new path in the case, since it reveals important information about how the surgeon died and contradicts some of the previous theories.
The Center for Forensic Sciences of the Southeast Asian country has launched a forceful forensic report that contradicts the words of Big Joke, the number two of the Thai police and one of the faces known to the Spanish press for having given different press conferences on the crime and Sancho’s situation.
The agent presented at the time as evidence the supposed holey T-shirt that Arrieta was wearing at the time of the crime, a garment that would prove that the man died from a stab wound. On the other hand, according to the Open Case program, the Center for Forensic Sciences has studied said shirt and has ruled that there is no conclusive evidence to prove the alleged stabbing by Daniel Sancho.
Big Joke and his team handed over the t-shirt and knives found at the alleged crime scene to the investigating entity. Although stabbing was one of the main theories, the victim’s clothing did not have blood stains, something that caught the attention of experts from the beginning. After an exhaustive analysis, forensic experts have determined that they cannot link the knives to the stabbing either.
It should be noted that the investigation is still open and that the report once again confirms that the surgeon suffered a fracture of the occipital bone of the skull, so the cause of death could have been a severe blow to the head.
