A chilling scene awaited a young man in Battambang’s Ratanak Mondol district on Tuesday when he discovered the body of his 13-year-old sister who had been raped and murdered while tending to her family’s cows.

Ngoun Chreb’s body was found in a forest near Kob Mountain in O’Romchek village, and police yesterday brought charges against suspect Thleong Sun, 37, who owns a small farm nearby.

Chet Vanny, Battambang provincial police chief, said yesterday that the suspect did not resist arrest and police had found the victim’s blood on Sun’s clothing but had yet to find the murder weapon.

“We found blood-stained trousers that belonged to the suspect and nail marks on the suspect’s body. The knife that was used to kill the victim was not found,” he said.

Vanny added that Chreb was killed by stab wounds to the back and chest, and appeared to have been first struck by her attacker from behind while trying to escape from the scene.