Madrid YouTube Chef Arrested in Thailand for Butchering and Scattering Remains of Colombian Surgeon
By Snejana Farberov | August 8, 2023 | 5:28pm
A YouTube chef from Madrid has been arrested in Thailand after he allegedly admitted to butchering a Colombian surgeon and scattering his remains on a tourist island, police said.
Daniel Sancho Bronchalo, 29, the son of Spanish movie stars Rodolfo Sancho and Silvia Bronchalo, has been charged with premeditated murder and concealment of a body in the grisly killing of 44-year-old Edwin Arrieta Arteaga.
The deceased man’s remains were found in plastic bags and luggage scattered around Koh Phagnan, an island renowned for hosting monthly “full moon parties.”
Sancho reported Arrieta missing last week after the human remains were found and was later detained in connection with the killing. He later confessed to killing Arrieta, but he denied that it was premeditated.
According to his confession made on Saturday, the trouble started when an “obsessed” Arrieta went to Sancho’s hotel room on August 1 and asked to have sex with him. Sancho rebuffed the older man’s advances, and in a fit of rage, pushed Arrieta, causing him to fall and apparently fatally hit his head on the bathtub.
The 29-year-old Spaniard then allegedly decided to get rid of the surgeon’s body by chopping it up in his hotel room and dumping the body parts at different spots across the island.
However, local police chief Surapong Thanomchit revealed that Sancho was seen buying a knife, garbage bags, and cleaning solutions before Arrieta’s death. After completing his gruesome task, Sancho bought a kayak for $1,000, took it out to sea, and allegedly dumped a suitcase containing some of Arrieta’s remains into the water.
Two days later, a garbage collector working at a landfill on the island discovered a bag containing a man’s pelvis and human intestines. A subsequent search of the dumping ground turned up another bag with human legs and some items of clothing. DNA tests confirmed the remains belonged to Arrieta.
Sancho headed to a “full moon party” with two women he met on the island on the night the remains were recovered. It was not until after he returned from the celebration and saw news reports about Arrieta’s murder that he reported the Colombian national as missing, but falsely claimed that he arrived on the island only the day before. By then, the victim had been dead for more than 24 hours.
Security footage showed Sancho and Arrieta riding a motorbike together in the days before the murder. The pair had dinner at a restaurant on August 1, and just hours later, Sancho was caught on video buying knives and cleaning supplies at a store.
When asked about a motive, provincial police commander Saranyu Chamnanrat said it was likely due to a personal relationship between the suspect and the victim. Conflicting reports about the nature of Sancho and Arrieta’s relationship have emerged, with some sources claiming they were dating and Sancho trying to break up with the surgeon, while others suggest they were not romantically involved.
Sancho’s father, Rodolfo Sancho, a famous Spanish actor, commented on the incident, urging the public to show respect for the family during this difficult time.
Sancho appeared in court on Monday as police requested his continued detention for investigation.
With Post wires.