21-12-2024 (BANGKOK) Three members of the notorious OUTLAW gang have received heavy sentences for the gruesome murder of a German real estate businessman in a case that sent shockwaves through Thailand’s expatriate community.
The Pattaya Provincial Court handed down its verdict on Wednesday in the high-profile case involving the 2013 kidnapping, murder and dismemberment of Hans Peter Ralter Mac, 62, whose remains were disposed of at sea following a complex plot to steal more than 3.3 million baht (approximately $96,000) from his accounts.
The main perpetrator, German national Olaf Thorsten Brinkmann, 52, and his accomplice Phetcha Kristel Grundgriff, 54, also German, both received life sentences after pleading guilty to charges of premeditated murder and concealment of a corpse. The third defendant, Shahrouk Kareem Uddin, 27, a Thai national of Pakistani descent, maintained his innocence throughout the trial but was sentenced to death.
The brutal killing took place in Nong Prue, Chonburi Province, where investigators from Provincial Police Region 2 mounted an extensive operation to track down the perpetrators. Through meticulous collection of forensic evidence, witness testimonies, and financial records, authorities were able to piece together the elaborate scheme.
Prosecutors successfully demonstrated how the trio lured Mr Mac to his death before systematically dismembering his body and disposing of the remains in the ocean. They subsequently transferred 3.35 million baht from the victim’s account, though investigators later recovered 1.25 million baht which was returned to the deceased’s family.
