Thai police have finally named 45-year-old Shane Kenneth Looker as the prime suspect in the murder of Nana Plaza bar girl Laxami “Pook” Manochat.

Lead detective Pol Lt-Gen Werapong Chuenpagdee and his team held a press conference stating that an arrest warrant had been issued by Kanchanaburi provincial court for Looker and the Royal Thai Police would seek assistance from Interpol to arrest the British suspect.

Having entered Thailand on October 31st, Shane Looker, originally from Stoke, England, was the last known person to be seen with Ms Manochat on November 2nd. Police now have DNA evidence connecting him to her murder.

On 9th November 2014 it was reported that the cut up body of a woman had been found in a suitcase thrown into the Mae Klong River in Kanchanaburi. The body in the suitcase was linked to a missing Soi 4 bar worker from Si Saket on Nov 16th. Police issued CCTV images of the victim leaving Nana Plaza, where she worked as a dancer in the Rainbow 4 go-go bar, with a well-built white man.

Over the course of the next few weeks video footage and new photos were released with fresh appeals for information as police had few leads in the case.

At the beginning of December there were several tip offs to this site that included Looker’s full name, nationality, his address in Hua Hin, a photo of his passport from the immigration system and where he was in hiding, all of which were passed on to Pol Lt-Gen Werapong.

In mid December a search warrant was issued for a property at Tippawan 5 in Hua Hin believed to be the residence of Looker. During the search police discovered the shorts and t-shirt he’d been wearing on the night of November 1st when he was captured on CCTV.

DNA samples taken from several items including nail clippers and a toothbrush matched DNA found in the victim’s nails.

The investigation also led police to a store where Looker had purchased rocks simillar to those discovered in the suitcase with the body.

Following a meeting of the investigators on January 5th, the team turned their attention to finding the taxi driver who took Looker out of Bangkok.

It was initially believed the couple headed straight for Kanchanaburi in the early hours of November 2nd, however, this turned out not to be the case. Police now confirm Looker left Gulliver’s Hotel on Sukhumvit Soi 5 in a minivan bound for Hua Hin at 9.30am on the morning of November 2nd. The driver remembers the trip as the agreed price changed from 1,800 baht to 1,500 when the the final destination was changed from Tippawan 5 to Big C.

What remains unclear here is whether Looker traveled alone or with Ms Manocha to Hua Hin. Police did not disclose this info at the press conference.

It was confirmed Looker fled Thailand into Malaysia via the Padang Besar border crossing by train on November 24th. It is the understanding of Stickboy Bangkok that he headed to Ibiza where he spends the summer months and allegedly has a share in a hotel located in Ibiza Town.

Image cr. dailynews & khaosod





