An American man lost his life in Thailand, caught in what officials are calling a violent love triangle involving his former partner, her new lover, and three other individuals.
According to The Mirror, 54-year-old Stein Heath Cole approached his ex-girlfriend, 24-year-old Nan Phawt Ar Cho, on February 16, pleading for reconciliation. However, her current partner, 26-year-old Saw Nay Lin Oo, along with three accomplices, allegedly assaulted Cole in Bangkok around 4:30 p.m. on Monday following this encounter.
Authorities reported that Cole arrived at a local store wielding a 10-inch kitchen knife, which escalated into a violent altercation. The quartet now faces charges of “jointly assaulting another person, resulting in death.”
Hailing from California, the American was reportedly beaten to death with a metal rod and knife by the four attackers.
Witnesses say Cole lived just across the street from the scene of the incident. (Source: Asia Pacific Press via ViralPress)
Upon discovery, Cole was found lying on the pavement with both legs fractured and suffering from five stab wounds. A 10-inch knife and a metal pipe were found in the vicinity.
The suspects were identified as Saw Kyaw Win Tun, Saw Kyaw Htunt Paying and Thien Oo, the ex-girlfriend’s brother. One of the suspects was stabbed and taken to a nearby hospital.
Bangmod Police district station Superintendent Colonel Sonchai Poonphol said the fight was caused by a “relationship dispute.”
Stein Heath Cole is from California. (Asia Pacific Press via ViralPress)
“This incident was caused by a personal relationship dispute. The deceased could not accept their break-up and had been following his ex-girlfriend continuously,” he said. “On the day of the incident, he is said to have produced a knife, provoking the suspects to intervene and attack him. The suspects claimed that they had no intention to kill, but the situation became chaotic, and they lost control.”
Prior to the attack, Cole lived alone in an apartment across the street from the store. Police alleged that the woman’s family didn’t approve of her relationship with the American.
Stein Heath Cole was allegedly beaten to death in Thailand. (Asia Pacific Press via ViralPress)
“Relatives of the woman did not approve of her relationship with the American man and had been trying to separate them. He was described as aggressive, prone to outbursts, and a heavy drinker,” Poonphol said. “Both the woman’s family and the American were staying in the same apartment building. There had been previous confrontations between him and her relatives.”
“The American man had no occupation. He had been renting a room there and was living alone. We have already coordinated with the U.S. Embassy on Monday. All four suspects have been charged with jointly assaulting another person, causing death. Initial witness statements indicate that the motive stemmed from a romantic dispute and family conflict,” he added.
