Police are searching for a U.S. Army soldier who they say travelled from Colorado to Indiana in order to murder his wife last month, after she obtained an order of protection against him. He is now believed to have fled the country while unlawfully departing the military.
Peter Van Bawi Lian, 21, was charged with the murder of his wife, 27-year-old Khuang Par, on Wednesday, and is further wanted on military desertion charges, the Indy Star reports.
Colorado police said an order of protection was issued December 3 against Lian after he allegedly choked Par and threatened to kill her following a quarrel. Officials subsequently arrested the suspect “on charges of second-degree assault and menacing,” according to an affidavit obtained by the newspaper.
Par then reportedly flew from Colorado to Indiana in order “to be with her family” on December 1.
Authorities allege that Lian boarded a flight from Colorado Springs, where he was an active duty soldier, to his home state of Indiana on December 22. The following day, Par’s body was reportedly discovered in an Indianapolis dumpster, located at the Country Club Apartments in the 300 block of Teddy Drive.
A subsequent autopsy determined her cause of death as a homicide. Officials hadn’t revealed the manner in which she died at the time of publishing.
THREAD: Authorities are looking for this man, Peter Van Bawi Lian, who is accused of flying to #Indianapolis from #Colorado to kill his wife. He was on active duty with @USArmy at the time of his wife’s death.
He is believed to be in Bangkok, Thailand. @rtv6 pic.twitter.com/RpzByoVtUU
— Andrew Smith (@AndrewSmithNews) January 3, 2019
According to the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD), Lian boarded a plane headed from Chicago to Bangkok on December 23 following the alleged murder, where he is believed to have landed on Christmas Eve.
The suspect was last spotted two days prior, at his Fort Carson Army base in Colorado, officials said.
Anyone with information pertaining to the case is urged to contact the IMPD’s homicide unit at 317-327-3475, or Crime Stoppers at 317-262-TIPS.
This is a developing story. Check back with CrimeOnline for the latest updates.
[Feature Photo: Peter Van Bawi Lian Khuang Par/IMPD]
