Police are investigating the murder of a 42-year-old man from Kompong Speu province whose bullet-riddled body was dumped in an empty lot in Phnom Penh’s Russei Keo district on Saturday, police and local officials said Sunday.
The body of Nuo Kimsan was discovered on an unused plot of land in Russei Keo’s Kilometer Pram Muoy commune by local residents on Saturday, who then called the police to investigate, according to commune chief Sok Sambath.
“Nobody heard the sound of shooting here, but the victim…was shot seven times,” Mr. Sambath said, adding that witnesses recall seeing a car drive into the empty lot between 1 a.m. and 2 a.m. early Saturday morning, drop something on the ground and drive away.
Phnom Penh penal police chief Eng Sorphea said municipal police were working with military police to investigate the crime, but had so far failed to identify any suspects.
Mr. Sorphea said Nuo Kimsan’s wife, Phang Mary, filed a complaint with military police in Phnom Penh late Friday, when she first realized her husband had gone missing.
“We received a [missing person] complaint from the victim’s wife before police found the body,” said national military police spokes- man Kheng Tito.
Ms. Mary told the military police that her late husband drove to Phnom Penh early Friday morning after he received a call from someone claiming to have a loan for him, and then seemingly disappeared, according to Brigadier General Tito.
Mr. Sorphea said Nuo Kimsan’s body was returned to his family in Kompong Speu for a funeral on Saturday.
