A butcher-turned-cook has been arre

A butcher-turned-cook has been arrested in Yala for murdering and dismembering his wife, whose body parts were dumped in Saraburi province four months ago.

Kamolchart Kaewthong, 32, a native of Nakhon Ratchasima's Khong district, was apprehended in Yala on Tuesday and brought before the media in Saraburi on Wednesday.

The arrest followed the discovery of female body parts placed in four fertiliser sacks and a plastic bag dumped under a bridge in Saraburi on Jan 29.

The woman was identified as Wanwimol Mathet, 30, Mr Kamolchart's wife, Pol Lt Gen Amnuay Nimmano, commander of Provincial Police Region 1 said.

Shortly after the discovery of the body parts was made public, Mr Kamolchart appeared at Kaeng Khoi police station to identify the body, claiming he was looking for his wife, who had been missing since November.

After viewing the remains, he told police the body was not his wife. Officers asked him to take his five-year-old daughter to undergo DNA testing to rule out a possible link.

However, the man left and did not contact authorities again, Pol Lt Gen Amnuay said.

Police later approached his wife's parents for DNA testing and the results showed their DNA samples matched those of the victim.

A police investigation found the suspect used to work as a butcher in Kaeng Khoi before moving to southern Yala province to work as a cook, said Pol Lt Gen Amnuay.

Police said Mr Kamolchart admitted killing his wife but said her death was an accident. He said he had a heated argument with Wanwimol on Nov 11, during which she picked up a knife and threatened to stab herself in the chest.

Mr Kamolchart claimed he tried to take the knife from her, but she fell to the floor and the knife accidentally pierced her chest, police said.

He later dragged Wanwimol's body into a bathroom where he chopped her up and dumped her remains under a bridge before fleeing to Yala.

Police charged him with killing his wife and dismembering her body.

The woman was identified as Wanwimol Mathet, 30, Mr Kamolchart's wife, Pol Lt Gen Amnuay Nimmano, commander of Provincial Police Region 1 said.

Shortly after the discovery of the body parts was made public, Mr Kamolchart appeared at Kaeng Khoi police station to identify the body, claiming he was looking for his wife, who had been missing since November.

After viewing the remains, he told police the body was not his wife. Officers asked him to take his five-year-old daughter to undergo DNA testing to rule out a possible link.

However, the man left and did not contact authorities again, Pol Lt Gen Amnuay said.

Police later approached his wife's parents for DNA testing and the results showed their DNA samples matched those of the victim.

A police investigation found the suspect used to work as a butcher in Kaeng Khoi before moving to southern Yala province to work as a cook, said Pol Lt Gen Amnuay.

Police said Mr Kamolchart admitted killing his wife but said her death was an accident. He said he had a heated argument with Wanwimol on Nov 11, during which she picked up a knife and threatened to stab herself in the chest.

Mr Kamolchart claimed he tried to take the knife from her, but she fell to the floor and the knife accidentally pierced her chest, police said.

He later dragged Wanwimol's body into a bathroom where he chopped her up and dumped her remains under a bridge before fleeing to Yala.

Police charged him with killing his wife and dismembering her body.

A butcher-turned-cook has been arrested in Yala for murdering and dismembering his wife, whose body parts were dumped in Saraburi province four months ago.

Kamolchart Kaewthong, 32, a native of Nakhon Ratchasima's Khong district, was apprehended in Yala on Tuesday and brought before the media in Saraburi on Wednesday.

The arrest followed the discovery of female body parts placed in four fertiliser sacks and a plastic bag dumped under a bridge in Saraburi on Jan 29.

The woman was identified as Wanwimol Mathet, 30, Mr Kamolchart's wife, Pol Lt Gen Amnuay Nimmano, commander of Provincial Police Region 1 said.

Shortly after the discovery of the body parts was made public, Mr Kamolchart appeared at Kaeng Khoi police station to identify the body, claiming he was looking for his wife, who had been missing since November.

After viewing the remains, he told police the body was not his wife. Officers asked him to take his five-year-old daughter to undergo DNA testing to rule out a possible link.

However, the man left and did not contact authorities again, Pol Lt Gen Amnuay said.

Police later approached his wife's parents for DNA testing and the results showed their DNA samples matched those of the victim.

A police investigation found the suspect used to work as a butcher in Kaeng Khoi before moving to southern Yala province to work as a cook, said Pol Lt Gen Amnuay.

Police said Mr Kamolchart admitted killing his wife but said her death was an accident. He said he had a heated argument with Wanwimol on Nov 11, during which she picked up a knife and threatened to stab herself in the chest.

Mr Kamolchart claimed he tried to take the knife from her, but she fell to the floor and the knife accidentally pierced her chest, police said.

He later dragged Wanwimol's body into a bathroom where he chopped her up and dumped her remains under a bridge before fleeing to Yala.

Police charged him with killing his wife and dismembering her body.