BANGKOK – Thai police say an autopsy found that teen Thanchanok Donhomla, known as “Cake,” suffered a brain injury and died from suffocation. The findings were released as authorities prepared to pass evidence to prosecutors in the case against Australian national Simon Peter Carman.
Carman, 45, remains in custody and faces four charges, including murder, moving a body, and taking a minor for sexual purposes. He has reportedly claimed that he acted in self-defense during an argument over payment. The case now moves toward the prosecution and court stages, where the allegations and evidence will be tested.
Key Takeaways:
- Reported cause of death: A brain injury and suffocation.
- Other injuries: Police said no other injuries were reported.
- Reported DNA finding: Police allege that Carman’s DNA matched DNA found on Cake’s body.
- CCTV evidence: Police allege that footage showed Cake entering the apartment block with Carman and Carman later leaving alone
- Defense position: Carman has reportedly claimed that he acted in self-defense during an argument over payment.
Colonel Anek Srathongyoo of Pattaya City Police told the ABC that the post-mortem examination identified a brain injury and suffocation as the reported causes connected to Cake’s death.
Police also said the autopsy found no other injuries reported on her body. The findings provide investigators with a medical account of how Cake died, although they don’t by themselves determine who is legally responsible. That question will be decided through the criminal justice process.
The case began after Cake was allegedly seen entering the Jomtien Condominium apartment blocks with Carman near Pattaya Beach on June 25. Her body was later discovered near railway tracks, with reports stating that it had been placed inside a suitcase.
The reported autopsy findings are part of the evidence police say they have collected. They must be considered alongside CCTV footage, DNA results, witness accounts, and Carman’s own explanation of events.
DNA evidence mentioned by police
Thai police have also alleged that DNA collected from Carman matched DNA found on Cake’s body.
That statement comes from investigators and isn’t a final court ruling. A DNA match can become an important part of a criminal case, but prosecutors and the court will still need to consider how the sample was collected, where it was found, and what it shows about the events inside the apartment.
The DNA claim adds another disputed piece of evidence to a case that already includes surveillance footage and the reported movement of a suitcase. Khaosod English has also reported that Carman remains in custody while facing a murder charge under Thai law. Readers can follow its reported coverage of the Carman case for additional context.
What police say happened before the teenager’s death
According to the report, CCTV footage allegedly showed Cake entering an apartment block with Carman on June 25. The location was identified as the Jomtien Condominium apartment blocks, in the Pattaya area.
Surveillance footage is central to the police account because it places the teenager and Carman together before her death. However, the footage described in the report doesn’t provide a complete record of what happened inside the apartment. It shows movements before and after the alleged killing, while other evidence is needed to explain what took place in between.
Police have presented the footage as part of a broader case rather than as the only evidence. Investigators also referred to the autopsy findings and the alleged DNA match when describing the strength of their case.
The distinction matters. CCTV can show where people went and when they entered or left a building, but it may not show every event inside a private room. The court will decide how much weight to give the recordings and how they fit with the rest of the evidence.
The suitcase and the discovery of the body
Police allege that CCTV later captured Carman leaving the building alone while wheeling a suitcase through the lobby. Cake’s remains were subsequently found near railway tracks.
The reported sequence is:
- Cake was allegedly seen entering the apartment block with Carman.
- Carman was allegedly later seen leaving the building alone.
- A suitcase was involved in the movements captured by CCTV.
- Cake’s remains were later discovered near railway tracks.
The footage and the location where the body was found form an important part of the prosecution case described by police. Still, the allegations haven’t been proven in court.
The details have also led to wider attention in Pattaya, where police have handled other serious death investigations involving foreign nationals. A separate Pattaya police murder inquiry concerns a different case and shouldn’t be confused with the allegations against Carman.
Carman was arrested while attempting to leave Thailand
Police arrested Carman at Suvarnabhumi Airport on June 26, according to the report. He was allegedly attempting to board a flight to Perth when officers detained him.
The arrest came one day after Cake was reportedly seen entering the apartment block with him. Her body was found two days after she was last seen, according to the video description.
The reported timeline is short:
- June 25: Cake was allegedly seen entering the Jomtien Condominium apartment blocks with Carman.
- June 26: Police arrested Carman at Suvarnabhumi Airport as he allegedly tried to fly to Perth.
- Two days after she was last seen: Cake’s body was found near railway tracks, according to the report.
An airport arrest can prevent a suspect from leaving the country while investigators gather evidence. In this case, Carman remains in Thai custody as police prepare the case for prosecutors and the courts.
The arrest itself doesn’t establish guilt. It means police took action based on the information available to them and the charges they say apply to the case.
Charges faced by Carman
Carman faces charges connected to Cake’s death and the reported handling of her body. The charges named in the report include:
- Murder.
- Moving a body.
- Taking a minor for sexual purposes.
The transcript states that Carman faces four charges in total, but only three are identified in the available information. The fourth charge hasn’t been specified, so it shouldn’t be guessed or presented as fact.
The charges remain allegations unless a court finds Carman guilty. He remains in custody while the legal case proceeds.
Carman’s reported explanation
Carman has reportedly claimed that he acted in self-defense during an argument over payment. That explanation conflicts with the account put forward by police, who allege that Cake was killed, placed in a suitcase, and moved away from the apartment complex.
Carman’s claim will form part of the defense position, but the information available doesn’t show whether a court has accepted it.
Arguments over payment are often difficult to assess without testimony and supporting evidence. Investigators may examine the timing of messages or calls, statements from people who knew the teenager, CCTV recordings, forensic results, and the physical evidence collected from the apartment and the suitcase.
The reported autopsy findings will also be relevant. Police say Cake suffered a brain injury and suffocated, while no other injuries were reported. The court will need to consider how those findings relate to both the prosecution’s allegations and Carman’s self-defense claim.
Message to Cake’s family
Carman also spoke to Cake’s family in a recorded video mentioned in the report. During the message, he said he felt bad about what had happened and acknowledged that her relatives would be sad and upset.
He repeatedly described the incident with the words:
“It was out of my control.”
Carman also said that what happened shouldn’t have occurred and urged other girls to be careful. The recorded message doesn’t resolve the central questions in the case, but it has become part of the public account surrounding the investigation.
The comments must be read alongside the legal allegations rather than treated as an admission of guilt. Police and prosecutors will rely on evidence presented through the formal court process.
Evidence prepared for prosecutors and the court
Colonel Anek told the ABC that officers had compiled what he described as “100 per cent of the evidence” in the case. Police expect the court to consider imposing a sentence quickly, although no confirmed sentencing date has been provided.
The statement suggests that investigators believe their work is complete enough for the case to move forward. It doesn’t mean the court has reached a decision. Prosecutors still have to review the evidence, and the defense will have the opportunity to challenge the allegations.
Thailand’s criminal cases pass through several legal stages, including investigation, prosecution, hearings, and trial. A criminal litigation overview for Thailand explains that criminal proceedings are governed by the Thai Criminal Procedure Code and related laws.
That process is important in a case where the police account and the suspect’s explanation differ. The evidence must be examined in court rather than settled through public statements alone.
Possible sentence and legal process
The video description says Carman faces a potential death penalty over the alleged murder. Thai law allows capital punishment for some murder convictions, but no final sentence has been issued in this case.
A possible punishment isn’t the same as a confirmed outcome. The court would first need to determine whether the prosecution has proved the charges and then consider the applicable sentence. A discussion of Thailand’s death penalty system is available through Amnesty International Thailand’s death penalty information.
The legal status remains clear: Carman has been charged, not convicted. The allegations, autopsy results, DNA evidence, CCTV footage, and self-defense claim will all be assessed during the proceedings.
Cake’s family seeks justice.
Cake’s father has expressed relief at the progress of the investigation. His main hope, according to the report, is that his daughter receives the justice she deserves.
For the family, the police announcement provides information about the reported cause of death, but it doesn’t end the uncertainty. A court decision remains necessary before responsibility and punishment can be settled.
The case has also placed attention on Cake as a 17-year-old whose death is now at the center of a criminal investigation. Reports about the arrest and forensic evidence describe the legal case, while her father’s response shows the personal cost behind the headlines.
Cake’s father said he hopes his daughter receives the justice she deserves.
What happens next?
Carman remains in custody as the case moves toward prosecutors and the court. Police say they have completed their evidence collection, but the next stages will determine how that evidence is formally used.
The available information doesn’t establish when a trial will begin or when a sentence might be issued. Although police have said they expect the court to consider a sentence quickly, that statement isn’t a confirmed court schedule.
The court will need to consider the reported medical findings, the alleged DNA match, the CCTV footage, the suitcase, the location where Cake’s body was found, and Carman’s account of self-defense. Each piece of evidence will need to be assessed within the wider case.
