Who is Daniel Sancho, the Spanish chef convicted of murdering a Colombian surgeon?

Thai court sentenced Spanish chef to life in prison Daniel Sancho for him crime from the Colombian plastic surgeon Edwin Arrieta whose remains appeared scattered on the island of Koh Phangan, located off the coast of southern Thailand, in August 2023.

The Koh Samui Provincial Court found him guilty of all three crimes he was charged with during the trial: premeditated murder, dismemberment and concealment of the body and destruction of the doctor’s passport. Of these three accusations, Sancho only admitted the second.

According to the court judge, the cook’s sentence was reduced from death to life imprisonment for his cooperation during the investigation. He was also ordered to compensate Arrieta’s family with 4 million bats (nearly $120,000).

Edwin Arrieta was a famous 44-year-old plastic surgeon born in Lorica, a municipality in northern Colombia, and trained in Argentina. His work was divided between Montería and Santiago de Chile, where he also performed cosmetic operations and promoted his services.

Sancho, meanwhile, is the son of Spanish actor Rodolfo Sancho, known for the television series The Ministry of Time, and actress Silvia Bronchalo.

On August 31, 2023, according to captured security footage, the young Spaniard arrives on the paradise island of Koh Phangan.

The Thai island stands out for the beauty of its landscapes. It is surrounded by mountains of vegetation, its waters are turquoise and its sand is white. But it attracts millions of tourists not only for its attractiveness, but also for its festivals.

Every month on Haad Rin Beach there is a party to celebrate the full moon where participants seek to have a good time under the light of the star.

It was in this context that Sancho arrived on the island and a few days later Arrieta decided to join her. A year before, they had met on Instagram and had had occasional encounters since then.

On August 2, Sancho came to pick up Arrieta on a motorcycle. They rode around the island and even had dinner together. It was the last day the Colombian had contact with his family.

Security cameras in a supermarket were able to identify that when Sancho was alone, he bought a knife, gloves, a sponge, garbage bags and other types of cleaning products.

On the same August 2, Arrieta’s murder took place. According to Sancho’s version, the crime occurred in the context of a fight at the hotel where they were staying. After the surgeon insisted on having sex and threatened to disclose intimate information if allowed, he allegedly acted in self-defense.

“He took me hostage. It was a glass cage. “It made me destroy my relationship with my girlfriend, it forced me to do things I would never have done,” he said in his first statements.

The argument began with the Spaniard punching the surgeon, who hit his head against the sink and lost consciousness. In the same hotel room, Sancho dismembered the surgeon’s body into 17 pieces and put them in garbage bags, which he then distributed to different areas of the island, including the sea. All these actions were improvised, according to Sancho’s version.

On August 3, after Arrieta’s murder, Sancho returned to the hotel room and cleaned up after him. He also attended the famous full moon party with a woman and reported the Colombian’s disappearance to the police.

In the hours that follow, an intense search is conducted to find the doctor on the island, until a surprising discovery changes everything: Garbage collectors found bags containing human remains in a landfill. According to the media Bangkok Post Later other bags with human legs and men’s clothes appeared.

On Friday, August 4, Sancho was questioned at the police station following the discovery of the human remains and the complaint he had filed by his friend. All attention was focused on him: he was taken into custody, but initially denied his involvement in what had happened.

The police then moved to the hotel room where the men were staying. There, they discovered blood stains on various surfaces, as well as samples of tissue, grease and hair in the bathroom drains. They also found that the refrigerator and bathroom had been recently cleaned.

“The investigation revealed that Daniel Sancho had carefully prepared by purchasing other items to hide the body. “After being arrested for immigration offences and having his visa revoked, he showed obvious signs of stress but still refused to confess,” Thai police said, according to the Bangkok Post.

A day later, Sancho exploded after further interrogation and admitted that he was the author of the murder and dismemberment of the doctor.

On August 7, the Thai courts issued a provisional judgment against the Spaniard and charges were filed against him for premeditated murder, receiving stolen goods and stealing human remains to conceal the cause of death. After that, he was transferred to the prison on the island of Koh Samui.

Throughout the trial, which took place from April to May of this year, the Spanish chef maintained the version that his partner’s death was not planned and that it occurred in the context of an argument about his threats.

But, according to evidence provided by prosecutors, Sancho acted with premeditation in purchasing several tools that he used in the murder. In addition, Forensic reports indicated that Arrieta did not die from the blow to the head, but rather from the slit throat that ended his life.

The chef was facing the death penalty due to the seriousness of the crimes he was accused of. However, in similar cases in Thailand, death sentences have been replaced by life imprisonment, which was ultimately the case for the actor’s son.

Sancho and Arrieta’s defense team have responded to the Koh Samui court’s decision.

“The plaintiff is satisfied with the sentence because he (Sancho) will be imprisoned for life and they (the plaintiffs) will receive financial compensation” explained Bussakorn Kaewleeled, legal representative in Thailand of the surgeon’s family, reports AFP.

While Sancho’s lawyer, Carmen Balfagón, assured that life imprisonment was not in her expectations. “We have to accept what the Thai justice system says, we have always respected it” he said.