BANGKOK — Daniel Sancho Bronchalo, a member of a prominent Spanish acting family, was found guilty of premeditated murder and sentenced to life in prison by a Thai court on Thursday, in a high-profile case involving the dismemberment of his victim.
The Koh Samui Provincial Court initially sentenced Sancho to death but commuted the sentence to life imprisonment due to his cooperation during the trial, according to Police Col. Paisan Sangthep, deputy commander of the Surat Thani Provincial Police.
Sancho, a 30-year-old chef and YouTuber, was charged with murdering Edwin Arrieta Arteaga, a 44-year-old Colombian plastic surgeon, during a vacation on Koh Pha-ngan in August last year. The island, famous for its “Full Moon” beach parties, became the backdrop for the gruesome crime.
Sancho, the son of Spanish actor Rodolfo Sancho Aguirre and actress Silvia Bronchalo, was also ordered to pay over 4.2 million baht ($125,000) in compensation to the victim’s family, though the family’s lawyers had requested 30 million baht ($882,000).
Sancho claimed at trial that he fought with Arrieta after an alleged sexual assault attempt, resulting in Arrieta hitting his head on a bathtub and dying. Despite pleading not guilty to premeditated murder, Sancho admitted to dismembering Arrieta’s body and disposing of it at sea and on land. He was sentenced to an additional four months, reduced to two months, for concealing the body and two years for destroying Arrieta’s documents.
The case drew intense media attention in Spain due to the violent nature of the crime, Sancho's celebrity connections, and the lurid details. HBO even produced a Spanish-language documentary on the case.
Police surveillance footage allegedly showed Sancho purchasing items such as a knife, gloves, and cleaning supplies before Arrieta’s death, supporting the premeditated murder charge.
Sancho expressed remorse during his trial, saying, “I am sorry that a life has been lost and that parents have lost a son. I’m sorry for what I did after the death.”
Sancho may apply for repatriation to serve the rest of his sentence in Spain under a treaty between Thailand and Spain, but only after several years of imprisonment in Thailand. — Agencies
