American sought in killing of 19-year-old Thai girlfriend

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An allegedly jealous American boyfriend is wanted for questioning in the murder of a Buriram teenager whose decomposed body was found in a garbage bag atop a South Pattaya restaurant.

Identified by police only as “Tim,” the suspect, in his mid-40s, is accused of murdering 19-year-old Anusra Paja, who disappeared from her room above the Sita Lanna hair-extension shop near Tukcom Feb. 15. The half-naked remains of body believed to be hers was found March 18 stuffed in a black plastic bag and hidden on the roof of the Le Petit Planete restaurant two doors down.

19-year-old Anusra Paja was found dead atop a restaurant after she went missing over a month ago.19-year-old Anusra Paja was found dead atop a restaurant after she went missing over a month ago.

Police forensics experts were testing the remains to confirm, but aunt Dao Bunsawat, 35, tentatively identified the body from an ankle bracelet belonging to Anusra. Restaurant owner Virawan Yiewsae, 40, discovered the body while investigating the smell.

Pattaya Police Superintendent Col. Supachai Puikaewkam said the girl was reported missing when failing to join a group of friends on a February trip to Koh Larn. Anusra had gone back to her apartment to get clothing, but witnesses said her boyfriend was waiting for her outside the room.

Dao told police that Anusra had been seeing “Tim” for several months, but recently had begun distancing herself and seeing other men. This, she claimed, enraged the American man twice her age, causing numerous serious fights. In their last reported meeting, the two had spent time alone in the apartment before Tim was seen leaving the building in a hurry. When a friend went to the apartment to fetch Anusra, she was gone.

Supachai alleged that Tim killed the teen after having sex by knocking her out then taping her mouth with purple tape and tying her into a blanket with a belt before stuffing her in the garbage bag. She surmises he then went out a window and over a low wall to hide the girl on the restaurant’s roof, where she likely suffocated to death, the police chief claimed.

Authorities are checking with immigration sources to determine if he already has left the kingdom.