A woman and her brother-in-law were sent to the Pursat provincial police station on Wednesday for their alleged involvement in the murder of her husband who was accused of practising sorcery.
Krakor district police chief Em Ron identified the victim as Prak Ban, 49.
He said the 36-year-old man had allegedly colluded with the woman to kill Ban in Chhoeu Tom commune’s Bamnak village on June 10.
They were arrested on Monday before being sent to the provincial police station.
“Her brother-in-law is the one who killed the victim for allegedly practising sorcery,” Ron said.
He said the suspects are said to have killed Ban with an axe before putting him in an oven around 1.5km from the house to hide evidence. But on Monday, villagers noticed a stench coming from the oven and discovered Ban’s body. They reported it to the police, who launched an investigation and detained the pair.
The provincial police’s serious crimes bureau chief Sar Sonya said an examination revealed the victim had been slashed on the back of the neck and ears.
When inspecting the crime scene, police found the victim’s blood on the wall of the home. Sonya said several people may have assisted in the murder.
He said the two suspects said they had only witnessed Ban being killed by other people but did not intervene. He said police will send them to court after further questioning.
