Suspected Murderer Hangs Himself While in Custody

A suspected murderer arrested Saturday for the fatal shooting of a carpenter in Battambang prov­ince hanged himself while in po­lice custody yesterday morning, a police official said.

Provincial police chief Sar Thet said 40-year-old Kyong Loeung was ar­rested Saturday and found the next morning hanging by his T-shirt from the metal bars covering the window of his room at prov­incial police headquarters in Battambang City.

“The suspect committed suicide and died in custody Sunday morning by using his T-shirt,” Mr Thet said. “We did not find anything else, just his T-shirt, and he hanged himself from the metal bars.”

He said Samlot district police ar­rested Mr Loeung in connection with a Wednesday night shooting in O’Samril commune that left Hem Ham, 45, dead and four of his relatives with non-fatal gunshot wounds.

Mr Thet said the suspect denied any involvement in Wednesday’s shooting when questioned, but confessed to committing three or four other murders—the police chief could not recall exactly how many—since 2010 in exchange for money, all in Samlot district.

“He is a longtime suspect and po­lice had an arrest warrant from the [provincial] court to arrest him for involvement in murders in Battam­bang province,” Mr Thet said.

District military police chief Earm Sengoeun said Mr Ham and about nine other guests were celebrating the final day of Pchum Ben when a lone gunman walked into the house wielding an AK-47 as­sault rifle at about 8 pm and opened fire. He said Mr Ham died at the scene from two bullets to the head and that four others were shot in the arms and legs and were recovering at home.

Police found a total of 22 bullet casings at the scene.

Mr Sengoeun said his officers arrested Mr Loeung on Saturday evening when he came to visit his wife and children at a friend’s house, which local police had staked out.

Interviewed Thursday, district ­po­lice chief Ly Bouy said he suspected the shooting was the re­sult of an argument over land among relatives.

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