Daniel Sancho enters provisional prison in Thailand for the alleged murder of surgeon Edwin Arrieta
The Thai justice decreed this Monday provisional detention for the Spanish Daniel Sancho after pleading guilty to the alleged murder of the Colombian plastic surgeon Edwin Arrieta. Charges of premeditated murder and concealment of evidence have been filed, and due to the seriousness of the crime, he will remain in Koh Samui jail, located in southern Thailand, at least until the trial begins. From now on he will be isolated for a period of ten days by covid protocol and while he is undergoing this process he will only be able to be visited by his lawyer, according to sources close to the investigation.
Until now, Sancho was being defended by a Thai public defender, but his family has already hired the services of a private office and the lawyer is expected to meet with the defendant this Tuesday.. Initially it was said that his father had already traveled to Thailand to be with him, but the latest information indicates that, because the defendant will be isolated for a few days, his family will not move to the country yet.. Once this protocol is finished, the trial will begin, but it is unknown when it will be. For their part, the police still have nine weeks to continue the investigation.
According to what has been learned, Sancho's lawyers had requested provisional release but, due to the seriousness of the crime, this was denied.. In fact, the defendant could face a minimum sentence of 15 years, which could become life imprisonment in case of aggravation.. There is also the possibility of being sentenced to the death penalty, although the reality is that today this sentence is not applied frequently and is usually commuted to life imprisonment.. If he is not sentenced to death, he could be handed over to Spain once the sentence is handed down so that he can serve part of the sentence in his native country.
“Collaborate as much as possible”
Hours before being taken into police custody, Sancho assured that he intends to “collaborate in everything he can”. The defendant insisted that the Thai police officers “are treating him very well” and even recounted that they took him to dinner at the restaurant of a luxurious hotel in the city. In addition, he assured that they have allowed him to speak on the phone with his family and friends.
Last Thursday Sancho went to the Koh Phangan police station to report Arrieta's disappearance and a day later he was taken to the same premises to be questioned.. At first, Sancho denied any involvement in the case, but on Saturday he confessed to having murdered and dismembered the surgeon. In addition, this Sunday he assured that Arrieta “was obsessed” with him. “All she wanted was me, to be her boyfriend.”