A local moneylender found hacked to death at her home in Koh Kong province last week was murdered by her daughter, according to police, who arrested the suspect on Friday as she attempted to transport her mother’s body to neighboring Kampot province.
The body of Meng Sai, 53, was discovered by the victim’s granddaughter at about 11 a.m. on Thursday.
That afternoon, police in Khemara Phoumint City arrested and questioned Meng Sai’s friend, as well as the boyfriend of her daughter.
Officers also apprehended the victim’s son on Friday, but released both men on Saturday after the friend, Chea Mom, 45, named Meng Sai’s daughter Pann Ney Sing, 31, as the killer and admitted to helping dispose of the murder weapon by throwing it into the ocean, Khemara Phoumint police chief Riel Chandara said Sunday.
“Yesterday and today, we were searching for the ax in the sea,” he said.
Mr. Chandara said police caught up to the alleged killer on Friday while she was driving her mother’s body to their relatives’ home in Kampot for burial.
He said Ms. Ney Sing and Ms. Mom would be charged with murder and conspiring to murder, respectively.
“Tomorrow, we will send them to the provincial court,” he said.
The police chief added that investigators suspected Ms. Ney Sing killed her mother in order to steal her money and jewelry, which was found in the suspect’s possession upon her arrest.
