Provincial police are on the search for a suspect who allegedly killed his girlfriend in a truck and dumped her body in Damnak Domrey village, Sleng Spean commune, Srey Snom district in Siem Reap province.

The victim, Sun Neang, 26, who hails from Bey village, Chong Khnos commune, Siem Reap town, in Siem Reap province, was a karaoke worker.

Siem Reap Provincial Police Chief Duong Sokha said: “We have identified the suspect, but he escaped and we have mounted a search for him.”

Un Sros, Srey Snom district police chief, said the suspect, Mao Sothai, 30, was said to be a military truck driver attached to the construction unit of the Ministry of Defence. However, the head of the construction unit said Sothai was not an armed forces employee.

Hence, he said that police are now attempting to confirm if he worked for the ministry or was just an ordinary truck driver.

Un Sros said that based on witness statements, the suspect usually patronised the karaoke lounge where the victim worked. The courting couple was in a relationship since March 2018 until the day of the killing.

An autopsy identified marks on the victim’s neck which indicated that she had died as a result of strangulation. There were also injuries on her head which indicated Neang was beaten.