Lithuanian man arrested for allegedly murdering his transgender partner in Thailand

June 16, 2022

Police arrested a Lithuanian man who is suspected of murdering his transgender partner in Surin, Thailand.

Malleus Kunickas, 32, was located and arrested at Yin Yom Beach on suspicion of murdering his 31-year-old partner, Thiraphong Lamlua, in Prasert district in the province of Surin at around 12:30 a.m. on Thursday.

Lamlua’s body was discovered by her mother, Wandee, inside a blanket in a storage room behind their family home in tambon Kang-an at around 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday.

The 47-year-old mother was alerted by neighbors of a foul smell coming from her daughter’s house. When a local rescue team came to inspect the house with Wandee, traces of bloodstains were found outside the storage room. Lamlua’s decomposing legs were found sticking out of the blanket.

Authorities believe that the transgender woman was murdered three weeks ago. Wandee suspected the murderer to be her daughter’s partner, Kunickas. She said her daughter’s head was beaten with what she suspects to be a bottle.

“He probably killed her out of jealousy,” she told Thaiger. “Thiraphong previously had an English boyfriend for about seven years. He built lots of houses. He has not long returned to England and probably doesn’t know yet.”

Wandee said the last time she saw Kunickas was on May 26 when he drank beer with her and her husband at her home. Her daughter did not join them. She allegedly saw blood on his leg, and he told her it was an injury from a broken glass. After that night, Wandee assumed the couple returned to Phuket when she did not see them again.

Wandee also suspects Kunickas to have killed and buried their family pit bull who had disappeared a few days before because he asked to borrow a shovel on the night of May 26, according to Wandee.

The victim’s body had been brought to Surin Hospital for an autopsy. Kunickas, who was found with bruises on his nose and with Lamlua’s mobile phone, told the police that he and his girlfriend had quarreled.

Kunickas is set for a DNA test. If his sample matches the evidence found at the scene, he will formally be charged with murder.

Featured Image via Pattaya Police (left) and Thiraphong Lamluea (right)

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