Suicide by decapitation

Deputy police commissioner-general Jongrak Chutha-nont announced yesterday that the westerner whose head was found hanging from Rama VIII Bridge on Sunday committed suicide and was believed to be an Italian.

Jongrak said Siriraj Hospital doctors had confirmed that the body discovered near the bridge on Monday belonged to the head. He said the uneven decapitation wound and bruises suggested death by hanging rather than beheading with a sharp object, adding that the man's body showed no signs of assault.

At 11am yesterday, forensic officials along with Bangkok Metropolitan Administration's Disaster Prevention and Mitiga-tion officials went to inspect the scene one more time. They took photographs of the handwriting found on the bridge's railing and descended by rope to take photographs of the blood traces and collect samples.

Blood-spray pattern

It was confirmed that the blood-spray pattern found on cement foundations under the bridge resulted from the action of the arteries when the head was torn from the body by the force of gravity. Siriraj Hospital forensic doctors had told police that this sequence of events was "often typical of a suicide by hanging".

Though medical evidence shows that it was almost certainly a suicide and not a brutal execution by international gangsters, Jongrak urged anyone with evidence that suggested murder to contact the police. The case will be registered as suicide in 30 days if no more evidence to the contrary is put forward, he said.

Italian arrived on Wed

As for the ongoing attempts to identify the victim, Jongrak said he was wearing Italian-made Puma clothing, and the bag found near his head carried the name of an Italian hotel. Checks revealed that 49-year-old Italian Jaeta Jiovani entered Thailand on February 18 and checked in to the Rex Hotel in the Sukhumvit area before going missing at the weekend.

It was reported that Jiovani had been to Thailand seven times. Police also showed reporters pictures taken of Jiovani arriving at the airport.