Stung Treng provincial police continued to question three suspects – a father and two of his sons –about their alleged involvement in the murder of a man who was beaten to death while his hands were tied behind his back on May 30 in Sasan village in Sesan district’s Kamphun commune.

Provincial deputy police chief Va Sophan said on June 1 that the father, 50, and his two sons aged 23 and 19 are residents of the village, while the victim, 27, was a resident of Srae Taban village in Sam Khuoy commune of the same district.

He said the trio were arrested on May 30 and were being questioned one by one.

“The judicial police are building a case file. This is a lot of work for us because there are three suspects,” he said, explaining the lengthy process.

Citing the suspect’s family’s statements to officers, he said that on May 30 the three were herding their cattle and goats into the stable as usual.

At around 8pm that evening, the victim entered the stable with a wooden baton and began beating the livestock with it.

The suspects apparently intervened and then tied the victim’s hands behind his back and beat him to death.

He said that after the incident the neighbours reported it to the police, leading to their arrest on May 30.

Citing the victim’s mother, Sophan said the victim had been married but his wife divorced him, leaving him devastated. She said her son had then disappeared from his home a week before his death and she had not heard from him since then.