Police are hunting down a father who is suspected of killing his son and disposing of the body in a nearby pond on Friday night at Pring village, Chi Kraeng commune, Chi Kraeng district, Siem Reap province.

Speaking to The Post, provincial police serious crimes office chief Duong Sokha identified the suspect as Sin Thol, 55, while the victim was named as Sun Tha, 28.

“Police are on a manhunt for the suspect and we believe the victim might be a drug addict,” he said.

Chi Kraeng commune police chief Tiv Bunra told The Post on Sunday that no conclusion could be reached at this time on whether the victim was a drug addict as villagers claimed he was mentally ill, while his relative said he was a drug addict.

“I cannot say for certain, because [the victim’s] relative told me he was a drug addict. The police cannot conclude anything yet. Some villagers said he was mentally ill. Some said he was a drug addict,” he said.

Sun Tha previously assaulted his family members, destroyed things in the house, and burned down his own home. The police often talked to him at the police station.

The victim went to work in Thailand for two years. After returning home, he found work with his father.

Bunra said while Sun Tha’s wellbeing had worsened after his return from Thailand, no medical doctor had treated him or confirmed that the victim is mentally ill.

He said the night before the killing, neighbours had heard arguments and sounds of physical violence.

Then it became quiet again until around 4am on Friday and neighbours saw the father getting on his motorbike and riding off.

The neighbours, Bunra said, were suspicious and searched the house where they saw blood stains and reported the matter to the police.

After getting the report, the police inspected the house and followed the blood stains from the house to the pond – some 70m away – where they found the body.

A post-mortem report indicated that there were two injuries on victim’s head, one at the rear and the other at the top.