YouTube Chef Could Face Death Penalty for Killing His Gay Lover in Thailand

Claiming to have been held as a ‘hostage’ on a tourist island in Thailand, Daniel Sancho Bronchalo, a 29-year-old YouTube chef and son of Spanish film stars, is facing the death penalty for allegedly murdering and dismembering his Colombian surgeon lover.

Sancho has been charged with premeditated murder and concealing the body to cover up the death, a crime punishable by the death penalty, according to Thai police.

The details of the case surfaced when plastic bags containing body parts, identified as those of Edwin Arrieta Arteaga, were discovered at a landfill on Koh Pha Ngan, a popular island known for its monthly ‘full moon parties.’

According to Thai media reports, Sancho, who was on holiday in Thailand, informed authorities of his romantic relationship with the victim. He claimed that he tried to end the relationship with the ‘obsessed’ victim, but his attempts were unsuccessful.

After the discovery of the body parts, Sancho reported a missing person and was subsequently taken into custody. He later confessed to killing and dismembering Arrieta, 44, and disposing of the body parts in the landfill and the sea. However, he denied that the act was premeditated, as per the police.

An arrest warrant for Sancho was issued by the Koh Samui Provincial Court, and police declined to disclose the motive behind the killing, stating it may have stemmed from a personal relationship issue.

Meanwhile, Sancho told the Spanish news agency EFE that Arrieta was obsessed with him and had kept him as a ‘hostage.’

The regional police chief revealed that Sancho was observed purchasing a knife, garbage bags, and cleaning solutions prior to the victim’s death.

Sancho, the son of famous Spanish actors Rodolfo Sancho and Silvia Bronchalo, also has family members urging respect and privacy during this challenging time.

Amid the unfolding events, a spokesperson for the family requested utmost respect for both Daniel Sancho and the entire family.