A married couple and a scavenger were put in pre-trial detention at Prey Sar prison on Saturday by the Phnom Penh Municipal Court under charges of “premeditated murder” and “stealing with aggravating circumstances”.

Puth Sao Sinara, the deputy director of the Ministry of Interior’s Criminal Police Department said on Sunday that the suspects were Ath Oeun, 31, and her husband, Keo Sophanit, 28, both bread vendors, and Sok Heng, 31, a scavenger.

They had admitted to using a clothes hanger to strangle the victim, Knouy Soeng, 31, to death when she came to their rented home in Meanchey district to lend them 200,000 riel (about $50). The accused were arrested on Friday after going into hiding for about two weeks.

Sinara said the three accused dropped the victim’s body at a rubbish pile in Teuk Thla commune, Sen Sok district and fled to Prey Veng province after the murder. “If convicted, the three suspects will face life imprisonment,” Sinara said.