American faces death penalty for murder of Thai bar hostess

A former US Navy serviceman who settled down in Phuket, Thailand three years ago has been taken into custody by Thai Police on murder charge for killing a Thai bar hostess last month.

The murder suspect was identified as Ronald John Fanelli, 37, who served the US Navy before relocating in Thailand three years ago, confessed to the killing, according to Thai Police Lt. Col. Wijak Tarom. The Phuket Gazzete reported that Fanelli has indeed served the US Navy but did not mention other details of the suspect's personal circumstances. It quoted Fanelli as saying at a police news conference Monday that he had killed Wanpen, but it was a "terrible accident." The newspaper cited police Superintendent Wanchai Ekpornpit saying that Fanelli was stressed because his Thai wife had left him and taken away their young child, and that he was drunk when the killing occurred. Fanelli admitted to investigators he took the woman home from the bar last June 18 and stabbed her to death with his penknife and dumped the body on the roadside.