A soldier has been arrested on suspicion of murdering Ly Chornchhun, a 47-year-old sergeant major who was shot in the head in his sleep in Battambang province on Saturday, according to police, who say the alleged killer was in love with the victim’s wife.
“The gunman, Ny Noeun, 51, is a soldier in the same battalion as the victim, but the case involves a love triangle with the victim’s wife,” deputy provincial police chief Chet Vanny said on Thursday, adding that Mr. Noeun was arrested on Wednesday.
Mr. Vanny said the pair had never argued over the woman, Soeun Sivorn, while stationed in Phnom Proek district, but that Mr. Noeun confessed to killing Ly Chornchhun to remove him from the picture.
“We spent…days investigating to find the gunman, who was hiding at the Battalion 53 base in Battambang province, which is where we arrested him,” he said.
Mr. Vanny said the suspect claimed to have been in love with Ms. Sivorn for more than a year, but that she told police she had repeatedly turned down his advances.
