Hunt for British man after Thai girl's body found in pieces in suitcase
A British man is at the centre of an international manhunt after the body of a Thai bar girl was found chopped in pieces in a suitcase.
The Kanchanaburi Provincial Court has issued an arrest warrant for Shane Looker, 45, from Stoke-on-Trent, on charges of murdering and illegally disposing of the body of Laksami Manochat, 31.
According to the Bangkok Post, Muang district police say Mr Looker's DNA, taken from nail clippers in his home, matches samples collected from Laksami's body.
Laksami's remains were found stuffed in a suitcase, along with the body of a dead dog.
The Stoke Sentinel says an autopsy report reveals Laksami suffered a serious wound, but ultimately suffocated to death.
The red suitcase had been weighed down with rocks and thrown into the Mae Klong River in Kanchanaburi, 70 miles south of Bangkok.
The remains were found on 9 November 2014, more than a week after she was last seen with Mr Looker on 1 November.
Police have now released CCTV footage showing Laksami walking hand-in-hand with a man believed to be Looker.
They were seen leaving the Rainbow 4 go-go bar in the Nana Plaza region of the Thai capital in the early hours of 1 November.
A blog called Stickboy Bangkok received tip-offs about Looker's name, nationality, and his address in Hua Hin.
In mid-December a search warrant was issued for the Hua Hin property, and the blog reads: "During the search, police discovered the shorts and T-shirt he'd been wearing on the night of November 1 when he was captured on CCTV.
"DNA samples taken from several items including nail clippers and a toothbrush matched DNA found in the victim's nails.
"The investigation also led police to a store where Looker had purchased rocks similar to those discovered in the suitcase with the body."
The Mirror reports that Mr Looker fled to Malaysia by train in late November, and investigators believe he may have been trying to get to Ibiza.
Thai police have now contacted Interpol and are seeking cooperation from the countries with which Thailand has extradition treaties, including Britain.
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