An Australian man faces charges of murder and concealing a body related to the death of a teenage girl in a tourist city in eastern Thailand. Police reported the disappearance of the 17-year-old on Friday. She was last seen in security footage entering an apartment building with the suspect, Simon Peter Carman, in Pattaya, a popular coastal city about 150 kilometers east of Bangkok.
Carman was later seen leaving the building alone with a large suitcase. Security cameras captured him loading the suitcase onto a motorcycle and heading to an isolated area near the railway, according to local police.
Authorities detained Carman early Saturday at a Bangkok airport before he could board a flight to Perth, Australia. He initially faced charges of raping a minor. After finding the suitcase containing the girl’s body, police added charges of murder and concealment. The charge of premeditated murder carries a possible death penalty.
Carman denies all charges and remains in custody with legal representation. The timing of his court appearance is not yet clear, according to Kanoknan Sooksri, an investigator with Pattaya Police leading the case.
Security footage aired by Thai media reportedly shows Carman holding hands with the girl while entering an elevator on Thursday morning, later showing him alone at night with a dark-colored suitcase.
Another video shared online by Thai media depicts Carman being interrogated by police. “I was holding her because she went crazy,” Carman told investigators in the video. He further claimed the girl threatened him as he attempted to give her 500 baht (approximately $15). “I had my wallet open to take out the money, and suddenly, there’s a knife in front of my face,” he added.