The body of a German real estate tycoon who disappeared last week was found dismembered and stuffed inside a freezer in a rental home in Thailand, according to local reports.
Expat Hans Peter Mack, 62, had been missing since July 4 when his 24-year-old Thai wife said he failed to come home from a business meeting, according to the Bangkok Post.
His remains were discovered in the ice chest Monday evening in the Pattaya home reportedly rented by a German friend of Mack, the Pattaya News reported, citing a neighbor.
Banglamung officials confirmed that the chopped-up body parts that were placed in trashed bags and stuffed in the freezer belonged to Mack, according to the local outlet.
Investigators were led to the house after surveillance video captured the same freezer loaded in the back of a black pickup truck transported by what appeared to be foreign nationals, the Pattaya News reported.
The body of missing German businessman Hans Peter Mack is found in a freezer in Pattaya. The Pattaya News ThailandA neighbor, 35-year-old Rewat Rodchuen, told the publication that a German man named Olaf and a German woman with a disability were living in the home for about three months and were associates of Mack.
Both were taken in for questioning along with a third German, and police believe there could be Thai nationals involved in Mack’s killing as well, according to the outlet.
Before investigators made the grisly discovery, cops found Mack’s car abandoned in a condominium parking lot Sunday morning.
Mack had been missing since July 4.
The Mercedes-Benz E350 had traces of either coolant or bleach on its seats, dashboard, steering wheel and gearbox, Maj. Gen. Theerachai Chamnanmor, investigative chief of Provincial Police Region 2, told the Bangkok Post.
“There was intention to destroy evidence and the case indicates that Mr. Hans-Peter Ralter Mack’s disappearance was suspicious,” Theerachai said.
A local food vendor told the publication she saw two women get out of the vehicle that was parked there a few days earlier.
The family of missing German businessman Hans Peter Ralter Mack ask the deputy national police chief to help locate him. Thai PBSMack’s family had offered a 3 million-baht reward (about $85,900 US) for information leading to his safe return.
His wife, Piraya Boonmak, said he had failed to meet her for a lunch date they had scheduled. When she tried to call him, he didn’t answer and texted her that he’d call her back.
After more attempts to reach him, he reportedly texted that he was still with a business client at 10 p.m. — but Boonmak said Mack never texted her in their five years together, Thai PBS World reported.
