Police in Banteay Meanchey province are searching for a suspect believed to have murdered his girlfriend with his bare hands in a guesthouse on Friday night before making off with her Honda Dream motorbike, money and bangles.
“It was premeditated murder to steal her bangles,” said Phoeurng Mannsoeng, chief of the provincial police’s serious crimes bureau.
The victim, Bun Sovet, 34, was a widow with one son who sold gas and told fortunes with cards, Mr. Mannsoeng said.
Bun Sovet and the suspect checked into Mary Meanchey guesthouse, in Serei Saophoan City’s Kompong Svay commune, on Friday at about 8 p.m., he said.
An hour later, the suspect left the guesthouse, telling the receptionist he was going out for something to eat.
In the morning, the cleaner went inside the room after receiving no answer to her knocking, and found Bun Sovet dead inside, Mr. Mannsoeng said.
“We checked the dead body and found black [marks] on the victim’s neck,” he said.
“The suspect pressed the victim’s neck until it broke.”
He added that police were still searching for the suspect, whom he declined to name.
