Frenchman and the Thai Wife of Murdered Italian Expat Captured by Thai Police

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PHICHIT – The fugitive couple, a 34 year-old Frenchman and 38 year-old Thai woman wanted for the murder of 61 year-old Giuseppe de Stefani from Italy, 10 days ago in Phichit have both been apprehended by Thai police.

Phichit police said Mrs Rujira Iam-lamai, 38, was found by the police hiding on a longan tree trying to avoid police who were combing the area looking for her.

She was exhausted as she had gone hiding for almost 10 days in the jungle after the alleged murder of her ex-husband. Police said she was pretending to be a worker trimming branches off trees in the orchard. She seemed exhausted after a night on foot fleeing arrest.

Her alleged accomplice, Amaury Rigaud, 33, was caught on Sunday evening at a camp in a forest where he and Rujira Klaylamai, 38, were hiding in adjoining Kamphaeng Phet province’s northern Kosamphinakhon district.

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Police said Amaury told them that Ms Rujira and a Thai man murdered her husband, Giuseppe De Stefani, 61 and the time of the murder he was in a rented room in Pho Prathap Chang district of Phichit. He later helped her escape.

61 year-old De Stefani’s body was discovered in a forest near Bueang Thap Chan, a freshwater pond in Bung Na Rang district of Phichit on Jan 19, 2018.

Police allege the couple killed De Stefani, cut up his body and burned it in a bonfire of rubber tires near a reservoir.

After a week on the run, the couple were tracked down to Kamphaeng Phet, where a local resident spotted the suspects’ getaway car in the forest in Kosamphinakhon district, near Tak province.

In addition to a tent and other camping equipment, a Toyota Yaris with Samut Songkhram licence plates was found at the camp. The car was originally a bronze colour but had been repainted black.

Police said the French fugitive looked tired and scared.

Source: Bangkok Post, Thai PBS