Thai justice has found the Spanish chef, son of actor Rodolfo Sancho, guilty of murdering and dismembering Colombian doctor Edwin Arrieta after a violent confrontation on the island – credit Reuters
Daniel Sancho has been sentenced to life imprisonment in Thailand for the murder of Colombian doctor Edwin Arrieta, according to several Spanish media outlets.
Sancho, a Spanish chef and son of well-known actor Rodolfo Sancho, was found guilty of premeditated murder, dismemberment and concealment of a corpse on August 29, 2024, in Samui province.
Sancho recounted that during a conversation with Arrieta on the island of Koh Pha Ngan a violent argument took place which resulted in his accidental death.
In her statement, Sancho said that Edwin Arrieta tried to have intimate relations with her, which she refused, causing an altercation that ended tragically.
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Arrieta’s body was dismembered and scattered across various locations in Thailand, including the sea. Thai authorities found conclusive evidence, including security cameras that captured Sancho buying knives and other utensils in a supermarket before the crime.
Daniel Sancho could face the death penalty for his alleged involvement in the murder of doctor Edwin Arrieta – credit montage Infobae Europa Press/Panviman Resort Koh Phangan
According to police records in the island nation, Sancho reported Arrieta missing on August 3, days after committing the murder.
The investigation revealed that the surgeon’s remains were scattered in several places on Koh Pha Ngan. Forensic analysis determined that Arrieta died from a slit throat, contradicting Sancho’s version of an accidental blow followed by an improvised dismemberment.
During the reconstruction of the events, Sancho confessed to having continued beating the victim after realizing the severity of his injuries. In addition, there is talk of some cash transactions from Arrieta, the justification of which has not been determined.
The investigation revealed that between December 2022 and March 2023, Arrieta had transferred around 1,350,000 euros, of which 250,000 euros were intended for a hospitality business he planned to open with Sancho, and another 500,000 euros for the purchase of a home in Barcelona. This information has given rise to various theories about the financial motivations behind the crime.
The Arrieta family’s defense attorney explained why the death penalty was not ordered for Daniel Sancho – credit Juan Gonzalo Ospina
Daniel Sancho initially claimed that he acted in self-defense, claiming that he was the victim of an attempted sexual assault by Arrieta. However, the official version maintains that Sancho acted with premeditation, as demonstrated by the purchases of specific items used in the murder before the crime and the meticulous process of disposing of the body.
The trial focused on the days leading up to the murder, where various recordings and testimonies indicated that Sancho and Arrieta had multiple encounters, including motorcycle trips around the island and stays in luxury hotels. Sancho’s final version before the court indicated that he was forced to commit the murder due to pressure and threats from Edwin Arrieta.
Behind the case, there is a background of threats, manipulation and inequality of power that Sancho argued as part of his defense. Despite his allegations, contradictory evidence and Sancho’s initial confession sealed his sentence to life imprisonment, reduced from the death penalty for his collaboration during the investigation.
Daniel Sancho has been sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of Colombian surgeon Edwin Arrieta, committed in August 2023 on the island of Phangan, Thailand. After a long judicial process that included testimonies and revelations of financial transfers between the victim and the murderer, the Koh Samui Court issued the final sentence on August 29, 2024.
Daniel Sancho’s trial has been full of doubts and incompatibilities – credit Somkeat Ruksaman/EFE
The hearing, which began at 10:00 AM local time in Thailand, was attended by Sancho, who was visibly shaken during the reading of the verdict. His family, including his mother Silvia Bronchalo and his father, renowned Spanish actor Rodolfo Sancho, were present in court, while Arrieta’s parents followed the hearing virtually from Colombia.
According to judicial authorities, the brutality of the actions, combined with the disappearance of the surgeon’s passport, was the key to the conviction. Although the usual sentence for this type of crime in Thailand is the death penalty, the defendant’s collaboration with the investigation and his apparent repentance allowed him to avoid execution and receive life imprisonment instead.
In addition to the sentence, Sancho will have to pay compensation of 4 million Thai baht (approximately 480 million Colombian pesos) to the victim’s family. This figure is less than the 846,000 dollars that the representatives of the Arrietas, led by lawyer Juan Gonzalo Ospina, had requested.
Sancho’s defense announced that it plans to appeal the court’s decision, arguing that the court itself had initially considered the death penalty, but decided to commute it to life imprisonment due to the defendant’s collaboration with the authorities. “They gave him the maximum sentence, because in reality they gave him the death penalty, but the court itself commuted it to life imprisonment for having collaborated with the police authorities in the beginning of the criminal investigation,” said the defense attorney.
The Sancho case has raised questions and criticism about the true background of the financial transactions and the relationship between the two men. From the discovery of the surgeon’s dismembered body on the Thai island of Phangan to Sancho’s capture by Thai authorities, the judicial process has been full of unexpected twists and media speculation.
Likewise, the family of Edwin Arrieta, although seeking justice for the violent murder, did not agree with the imposition of the death penalty on Sancho.
