Authorities in Thailand said Friday that they’ve arrested and charged a Colorado man with murder after police found his young, pregnant wife brutally murdered and stuffed inside a trash bin.
CBS 4 reports that police arrested Jason Matthew Balzer, 32, and charged him in connection with the death of Pitchaporn Kidchob, 32. The victim was found deceased near their residence in the city of Nan, which was her home province.
Balzer, of Longmont, Colorado, purchased the Thailand home after the pair married in 2017. Police said Balzer subsequently quit his job and sold all of his property in Colorado.
The victim was three months pregnant when she died. Investigators said they don’t believe that the suspect knew about the pregnancy.
Balzer allegedly stabbed his wife with a knife following an argument. He then put her body in a trash bin, sealed it, and buried it around three miles from their residence, The Daily Caller reports.
Maj. Gen. Weerachon Boontawee, chief of Provincial Police Region 5’s Detective Department, said that authorities captured Balzer in Chiang Mai after he fled the scene on a motorbike. The suspect allegedly admitted he killed his wife after she complained about him buying the new motorbike, MailOnline reports.
Balzer was arrested and charged with murder. If convicted, he could face the death penalty.
Authorities said Balzer fled to Thailand after he was charged with attempted murder in Boulder County, Colorado. Although the victim’s name was redacted in court documents, officials believe Kidchob was the victim in the Colorado case as well
The charges were eventually dropped down to a misdemeanor assault charge after the victim refused to testify. Balzer was subsequently placed on two years of probation.
In 2020, Balzer was pulled over in Weld County, Colorado, and allegedly had over 70 weapons in his vehicle. He was arrested and charged a weapons violations, violation of a protection order, and drug offenses. Blazer allegedly left the area while both Colorado cases were pending.
“This murder highlights the danger of domestic violence as well as the potential for lethality that can often exist for victims,” the Boulder District Attorney’s Office said. “Our hearts go out to the victim’s loved ones; it is a very tragic case. We hope that he will be held fully responsible for the murder.”
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[Feature Photo: Pitchaporn Kidchob; Jason Balzer/Facebook]