8-1-2024 (BANGKOK) Two suspects have been charged in connection with the death of a two-year-old toddler whose body was discovered in a refrigerator on Saturday, according to authorities from Bang Bua Thong station on Monday.
The accused individuals, Harnnarong “Bank” Praiphanom, 31, a friend of the boy’s father, and his wife, Marisa “Koi” Thong-iam, 25, face charges of neglecting to report the child’s death to the police and concealing the body. Additionally, Mr Harnnarong has been charged with drug offences.
Both suspects were presented before the Nonthaburi Provincial Court on Monday for further testimony.
The parents of the deceased child informed the police that they had hired the couple to care for the boy due to their busy schedules.
Mr Harnnarong has maintained his innocence, pointing to the autopsy results that confirmed the boy’s cause of death as choking on sticky rice.
Despite Mr Harnnarong’s denial, his grandmother and sister refrained from applying for his bail due to concerns about his hot-tempered nature.
On the other hand, Ms Marisa’s mother expressed disbelief that the suspects would intentionally harm the child, stating that both individuals cared for the boy. She asserted that the suspects were not involved with any narcotics at the time of the incident.
Ms Marisa reported that she had been with the sleeping toddler on January 2 and discovered him dead upon waking. She observed ants near his eyes and hands and sticky rice in his mouth. According to her account, when her husband returned home, he placed the deceased boy’s body in the refrigerator.
Authorities were alerted to the situation on Saturday after neighbors reported a foul odor emanating from the house. Upon arrival at a housing estate on Rattanathibet Road, the police, forensic officials, rescue workers, and a medical team discovered the toddler’s body inside a refrigerator in a bedroom of a two-story townhouse.
Autopsy results on Sunday confirmed the cause of death as choking on sticky rice, consistent with the suspects’ claims. However, the boy’s aunts disputed the autopsy results, citing visible bruises on the child’s body.
The boy’s body was cremated on Monday at Wat Phai Luang in the Bang Bua Thong district of Nonthaburi.
