A Thailand court sentenced member of a well-known Spanish acting family, Daniel Sancho Bronchalo, to life imprisonment on Thursday for the premeditated murder of Edwin Arrieta Arteaga.
Sancho, a 30-year-old chef and YouTube personality, initially faced a death sentence but received a commuted sentence due to his cooperation during the trial.
The Koh Samui Provincial Court’s ruling came after Sancho was convicted for killing Arrieta, a 44-year-old Colombian plastic surgeon, during a vacation on Koh Pha-ngan island in August 2023.
Sancho is the son of prominent Spanish actor Rodolfo Sancho Aguirre and actress Silvia Bronchalo, both of whom were present in court for the sentencing.
The court also mandated that Sancho pay 4.2 million baht, $125,000 in compensation to Arrieta’s family, though the family had sought 30 million baht $882,000.
Sancho had claimed that he killed Arrieta in self-defense after the victim allegedly tried to sexually assault him.
According to Sancho, Arrieta fell and hit his head on a bathtub, resulting in his death.
Despite his claims of self-defense, Sancho admitted to dismembering the body and disposing of the remains, for which he received a four-month prison term, reduced to two months due to his acknowledgment of the crime.
He also received a two-year sentence for destroying Arrieta’s passport.
The gruesome details and the involvement of a celebrity family garnered extensive media coverage, including a Spanish-language documentary produced by HBO.
The case gained further attention when trash collectors discovered dismembered body parts in a fertilizer sack at a dump.
Sancho reported Arrieta missing shortly before police found evidence linking him to the crime.
Authorities alleged that Sancho had premeditated the murder, citing his purchase of a knife and other items from a convenience store as evidence.
Sancho denied these claims and stated in his closing statement, “I am sorry that a life has been lost and that parents have lost a son. I am sorry that his family was not able to bury him properly. I’m sorry for what I did after the death.”
Under a treaty between Thailand and Spain, Sancho may apply for repatriation to serve his sentence in Spain after several years in Thailand.
He joins a small group of Spanish nationals serving time in Thai prisons for serious offenses, including Artur Segarra Princep, who was also convicted of murder and dismemberment.
Segarra’s original death sentence was commuted to life imprisonment in 2020 by Thailand’s King Maha Vajiralongkorn.
