No suspects have been found in the murder of a woman who was shot dead Sunday night while riding pillion on a motorbike in Kandal province’s Takhmao City, but police believe it was a revenge killing, officials said Monday.
Try Sotheavy, 32, a garment worker living in Sa’ang district’s Svay Ralum commune, was riding on the back of her motorbike being driven by her cousin, Seng Sreyleap, 21, through Takhmao commune, according to commune police chief Huy Sokha.
Ms. Sreyleap told police that two men riding a motorbike then approached the women, he said.
“Then on a quiet area of Road 21 they asked her to stop, but she refused,” he said. “After that they shot the victim in the back and she died immediately at the scene.”
Mr. Sokha said the gunman shot three times from a K-59 pistol, but only hit Try Sotheavy once, while her cousin sustained minor injuries after falling off the motorbike.
He added that police believe the shooting was an act of revenge and not robbery, because nothing had been taken from the two women.
Ms. Sreyleap also told police that Try Sotheavy and her husband had recently divorced, but Mr. Sokha would not say whether he was a suspect or if police had plans to question him.
“Now we cannot accuse anyone yet,” he said. “It’s only information from the cousin so we need time to investigate and look for a suspect.”
Iv Chamroeun, Kandal provincial police chief, said based on information provided by Ms. Sreyleap, he thinks Try Sotheavy’s murder could be related to a disagreement she had at work.
According to Mr. Chamroeun, Try Sotheavy, who works at the Cambo Hong Xing International Knitting factory as a team leader for a group of seamstresses, had recently had an argument with her co-workers.
“This murder case comes from personal revenge,” he said, declining to give more details about the argument.
“We are still investigating and looking for a main suspect.”
