MAE SOT – A woman says she’s still waiting for justice after her mother was raped and killed in a cornfield. Police gathered DNA evidence and later found a match to one of two Myanmar men held as suspects. Yet both men were deported before the case could move forward, leaving the family confused and devastated.
On 3 January, Ms Kanjanattha Kawinyodying, 39, spoke publicly about the death of her mother, Ms Mai Kawinyodying, 57. The family lives in Ban Chedi Kho, Moo 10, Mahawan sub-district, Mae Sot district.
Ms Kanjanattha said her mother went to work on a corn farm in Huai Phak Kut village, Moo 8, Phawo sub-district, on 11 November 2025. She was attacked, allegedly gang-raped, and then killed.
Police at Phawo Police Station were notified and inspected the scene on 12 November. The body was sent for post-mortem examination, and officers collected evidence for DNA testing to track down the attacker.
She said investigators later focused on two Myanmar migrant workers as possible suspects: Mr Tonta Aung, 50, and Mr Atu, 41. DNA samples were taken for comparison with evidence from the scene.
During the process, relatives were told the two men had been sent to the Tak provincial Immigration checkpoint and that paperwork had been issued to stop deportation because the criminal case was still active.
When the DNA results came back, they reportedly matched Mr Tonta Aung. But by then, the family learned both men had already been deported to Myanmar. When relatives asked the Tak Immigration office what happened, they were told the detention letter from Phawo Police Station arrived after the deportation had already taken place.
Ms Kanjanattha said the explanation has left the family unsure who to trust. While the investigation continued, the family held a burial according to tradition on 31 December at the cemetery in Ban Chedi Kho.
She said she wants fair treatment for herself and her siblings, who are all the victim’s children. She followed the case closely and believed the suspects were already in custody. She also wanted to see the suspects in person. Instead, she found out they had been released and removed from the country.
According to what the family was later told, Phawo Police Station sent documents to immigration twice, first when the suspects were transferred on 15 December 2025, and again on 17 December 2025 with a request to hold them. Despite this, the deportation had already happened.
Reporters said police from Phawo Police Station and Tak Immigration have been working together to locate Mr Tonta Aung and Mr Atu, but there has been no confirmed breakthrough so far. Tak Provincial Police have also ordered officers to track down both men, whether they are still in Thailand or by working with Myanmar authorities to bring them back to face charges in Thailand.
The case is being treated as a serious violent crime. Investigators believe the victim was killed after the sexual assault.
Reports from the scene described bruising around the neck, dried blood near the eyes and ear, and signs of struggle in nearby grass about two metres away. Officers also found several items at the scene, including a phone charging cable, shoes, and the victim’s harvesting sickle.
