A Kep rice farmer confessed on Thursday to killing his 7-year-old neighbor on Sunday after stealing her earrings as she walked home from the farm where her parents work, police said.
Teng Pouen, 25, took the girl’s fake gold earrings and then repeatedly struck her with an iron bar before dumping her body in a shallow pond in Kep City’s Prey Thom commune, according to provincial police chief Oeng Sam Ol.
“This is not a drowning; this is a murder. He killed her before throwing the body into the pond,” Mr. Sam Ol said.
Mr. Pouen was arrested and detained at the provincial police headquarters on Wednesday.
During police questioning, he initially denied killing the girl, but eventually confessed, Mr. Sam Ol said.
The suspect was taken to the scene to reenact the crime, said Pong Sokheng, deputy provincial police chief, adding that he told authorities that he killed the girl because she threatened to tell her parents about the theft.
Mr. Pouen was set to be sent to the Kampot Provincial Court today.
