Preah Sihanouk provincial police are searching for a murder suspect after a body was found in the forest on Wednesday at Samrung commune, Prey Nop district, Preah Sihanouk province.

Deputy provincial police chief Kol Phally on Thursday identified the victim as Phat Phearak, 19, and that police have launched an investigation. “We are trying to identify the suspect to bring him to justice,” he said.

Prey Nop district police chief Huor Yai could not be reached for comment. However, the victim’s mother, Chan Da, 43, told the police that her son worked at a small private company in the Veal Rinh commune.

He owned an old motorbike and disappeared two days before he was found. She did not know where he was, said Yai.

“He is a good boy and not a drug addict,” the mother was quoted telling the police. “I tried to find him but I did not hear the news about him. I was told a person died and I went to see and knew it was my son,” Da’s police statement said.

Preah Sihanouk provincial police say they checked the body and saw a bruise on his head from being hit with a hard object. Near the body, there were materials for using drugs, including a bottle of water and straws.

Yai said police cannot assume if the victim knew his assailant. “It won’t be clear until we have detained the offender,” he said.

Samrung commune police chief Pov Sovann said on Thursday that the body was found at 1:00pm the previous day in a forest near a mountain, which was 1km from the village. He did not know when the victim was killed.

“Even I, the commune police chief, could only patrol the surroundings of the area, but I was not allowed to go near the body,” he said.

The victim’s mother identified the deceased.