Thailand claims breakthrough in Japanese tourist murder case

“With the new method, we can pinpoint that the DNA we found on the pants of the victim was not the DNA of Thai men. It matched with men from East Asia in the global genetic database that we can access with the help of Thai geneticists,” Wannapong said.

The last time I looked DNA had no nationality...

It will be very interesting to see if Japan will go ahead and hand over the DNA of a National in connection with the murder case of another National on foreign soil. Follow up please JT.

A Japanese man who was seen entering Thailand with Kawashita was initially a person of interest to Thai police, but left Thailand soon after the killing. He was not officially named as a suspect.

> “At that time, he refused to cooperate in giving tissue samples for lab tests and left Thailand one day after her body was found. We can start with checking his DNA sample in the next phase of the investigation that will be a collaboration between the two countries,” Somsak said.

Came to Thailand with her...left right after the murder...wouldn't cooperate with the police. Am I missing something here or shouldn't this guy have been the prime suspect from day one? It's unbelievable to me that it seems they haven't even brought him in for questioning here in Japan. Wow.

The last time I looked DNA had no nationality...

East Asia is not a nationality.

Why wasn't this man a person of interest to the investigation team and was allowed to leave Thailand without questioning beats my understanding. It' s been 13 years and he is still walking free and refused to cooperate. Japanese authorities should look for him. It is a Japanese national who was murdered albeit on a foreign land.

Thailand is so corrupt, with raggedy infrastructure and full of lies, the British probably helped them with the DNA, analysis, and they are now saying they did it. Thailand is now a death trap, HIV, extortion, drugs, murder, and cyclic civil unrest (yellow shirts vs orange shirts). I saw on the news in the 90's where grenades were thrown by protesters at riot police. Bangkok, is a huge sink hole waiting to happen.

"Kawashita’s body was found near the ruins of an ancient temple in the northern province of Sukhothai on May 25, 2007. Police said she was stabbed and her belongings taken"

reads like a murder robbery, where was her japanese boyfriend to protect her.

kurisupusu sadly you need a refresher on your dna knowledge. Google it.

Also, east asia is not a nationality, but you must know that already.

Very unusual for Thailand to go this far investigating a murder!? but glad to know that they have a lead and hope they will find her killer.

"....where was her japanese boyfriend to protect her."

It seems he was preparing to flee the country while refusing to cooperate with the police. Let me go out on a limb and say the Japanese guy's behaviour was just a tad suspicious.

case stinks to high heaven Thailand is notorious for detaining suspects as is Japan

it would be very easy to obtain DNA sample during detention

Goodness gracious!

There are posters on here thinking that DNA analysis can prove nationality?

Pathetic...

DNA can give clues as to ancestry but nationality...no!

Its frustrating how little they tell us. DNA? On her pants? Are these euphemisms for semen in her underwear? Or is it blood on her slacks? A fingernail clipping stuck to her shorts? A hair under her belt?

Do people even realize there are ways all the above could have gotten there innocently hours before she was even murdered?

But they really need to name Kawashita as a suspect so they can do a proper investigation, which will be more than just a DNA test. They need to get his alibi and find what his relation to her was. Its hard to believe they took the DNA of so many random Thai men but won't name as a suspect the guy she arrived in the country with who left Thailand as a person of interest.