Thai man, 62, allegedly killed 4 family members including infant in murder-suicide

A family of five in Chonburi, Thailand, was found dead in their home on Nov. 11.

Authorities suspect that one of the deceased, a 62-year-old man, killed his four family members — his wife, 60; daughter, 21; granddaughter, one; and mother-in-law, 82 —  before taking his own life, Thai media reported.

The case is being investigated as a murder-suicide.

Five bodies found after neighbours smelled odour

On Nov. 11, a village chief in Sri Racha district of Chonburi province alerted the police to a body in a house in the village.

The 62-year-old homeowner, Somjin, was found hanged in the hallway of the house, The Thaiger reported.

During the police inspection, four other bodies were found in separate rooms of the house.

All the five deceased were members of the same family, and are believed to have been dead for at least two days at the time of the discovery.

Police found no signs of a struggle inside the home.

The family reportedly made a living by selling squid and rice noodles at the local market.

However, neighbours became suspicious after no one in the family left their home in two to three days.

They also detected a strong odour coming from inside the house, and decided to contact the police, reported Khaosod English.

Family was facing financial troubles

An autopsy revealed that four of the victims sustained fatal head wounds, believed to have been inflicted by a hard object.

The man, Somjin, was the only one without such injuries.

A stone mortar, believed to be the murder weapon, was found at the scene, police said.

He is suspected to have hanged himself after killing his family members with the mortar.

According to Khaosod English, the man may have suffered from financial stress and hallucinations, driving him to the attack.

They are also investigating whether the victims were drugged before the attack.

A detailed autopsy will be conducted to determine the exact cause of death.

Police investigations are ongoing.

Helplines

If you or someone you know are in mental distress, here are some hotlines you can call to seek help, advice, or just a listening ear:

• national mindline 1771: 1771
• SOS 24-hour Hotline: 1-767
• Singapore Association for Mental Health: 1800-283-7019
• Tinkle Friend: 1800-274-4788 (for primary school-aged children)
• SHECARES@SCWO: Call: 8001 01 4616 | WhatsApp: 6571 4400 (for targets of online harms)

Top image from Chonburi News/Facebook