Thai Police Admit Problems in Hunt for Holiday Student's Killer

Thai police yesterday admitted they are struggling to make progress in the hunt for the killer of Reading University student Katherine Horton, who was murdered on Koh Samui on Sunday.

There were also conflicting statements as to whether Ms Horton, 21, from Thornhill near Cardiff, was raped before being beaten and left to drown off Lamai beach.

"We do not have any witnesses to the crime and the people we have questioned have not told us much," Lieutenant Colonel Teerawat Wamsiton said. "We are focusing on Thai suspects but nothing can be ruled out."

A special investigation team has been set up, including officers from Bangkok.

Lt Col Thanongsak Aksornsom said officers thought the murderer was still on the island and that "there was probably a rape. We don't want to disclose too much information about the possible suspects right now because it might endanger our chances of catching the culprit," he said.

Forensic experts in Bangkok who conducted the postmortem examination, however, said there was no clear sign that the third-year psychology undergraduate was raped.

Ms Horton was last seen by her travelling companion, Ruth Adams, on Sunday night near the bungalow they were staying at as she answered a call from her parents. Ms Adams went to sleep and did not realise she was missing till the next morning.

Ms Horton's mother, Elizabeth, has told police she heard her daughter scream and then the phone went dead. Ms Horton's father Ian has flown to Thailand with a family liaison officer from South Wales police. Her brother Richard has also travelled to the country from his home in Australia.

A spokesman for South Wales police stressed the officer would not be involved in the Thai murder investigation.