A married couple has been held in Battambang provincial police custody since Saturday, after they were arrested for allegedly killing a neighbour on Friday and leaving his body in a pond in Kamrieng district’s Boeung Raing commune.

The police said they would send the suspects to court on Tuesday.

Battambang provincial deputy police chief Chet Vanny, who heads the serious crimes office, said the suspects were a 51-year-old husband and his 50-year-old wife.

The victim was a 49-year-old man.

Both suspects and the victim resided in Trang commune’s Thmey village, Vanny said.

“After finishing interrogation, the suspects were asked to re-enact the crime. According to the initial report, the case was concluded as a premeditated murder,” he added.

Speaking to The Post on Monday, Vanny said the murder was fuelled by jealousy.

The victim, who had a close relationship with the suspects’ family, often spent time at their house, causing the husband to worry that his wife would have an affair with the man.

Moments prior to the murder, the suspects visited the victim at his home. After the meeting, the husband hit the victim on the neck with a bamboo stick. He then strangled him to death before throwing the body into a pond.

It is unclear whether the wife took part in the attack. The body was found floating by villagers on Friday evening.

Preliminary inspections suggested the victim died from drowning. However, further examination showed he had been murdered.