Overview
- Thai police say the 17-year-old victim, identified as Thanchanok Donhomla, was picked up for sexual services and was later found dead inside a black suitcase in long grass after the June 25, 2026 encounter.
- Investigators released CCTV that they say shows Simon Peter Carman leaving his Jomtien unit with a suitcase, riding a scooter with the suitcase strapped on, and later returning without it.
- Carman was intercepted by Thai immigration at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport minutes before a flight to Australia and has been held in Pattaya Remand Prison since his arrest in late June.
- Prosecutors have formally charged Carman with intentional murder, concealing a body and two counts related to taking a minor for indecent acts, and a conviction could carry life imprisonment or the death penalty under Thai law.
- At his first Pattaya court appearance on September 18, 2026, Carman pleaded not guilty, denied killing the girl while saying he acted in self-defence, and said he had limited access to private legal counsel during detention ahead of the October 12 hearing.