BANGKOK – A shocking court ruling in Thailand has captured headlines worldwide as a member of a prominent Spanish acting family, Daniel Sancho Bronchalo, was found guilty of premeditated murder and sentenced to life in prison. The case involved the gruesome dismemberment of the victim, adding a dark twist to the story.
The Koh Samui Provincial Court initially handed down a death sentence to Sancho, but later commuted it to life imprisonment due to his cooperation during the trial, according to Police Col. Paisan Sangthep, deputy commander of the Surat Thani Provincial Police.
Sancho, a 30-year-old chef and YouTuber, was charged with the murder of Edwin Arrieta Arteaga, a 44-year-old plastic surgeon from Colombia, while they were both on vacation on the Thai island of Koh Pha-ngan in August the previous year.
The convicted man comes from a well-known acting family, with his father being Rodolfo Sancho Aguirre, a notable Spanish actor, and his mother, Silvia Bronchalo, also involved in the industry. The parents, both 49 years old, are surely reeling from their son’s horrifying crime.
During the trial on the island of Samui, Sancho claimed that he had a physical altercation with Arrieta, alleging that the surgeon tried to sexually assault him. He asserted that Arrieta accidentally hit his head on a bathtub during the scuffle, resulting in his death.
Sancho admitted to dismembering the victim’s body and disposing of the remains both on land and at sea, adding another layer of horror to an already chilling case.
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