Chiang Mai - DNA tests have cleared five foreign nationals of any involvement in the rape and murder of the British backpacker, Kirsty Jones, Thai police said yesterday. The five had given samples after the 23-year-old university student was found dead 10 days ago in her room at the £1-a-night Aree guesthouse in Chiang Mai.
Gen Aram Chanpen, the region's police chief, told a news conference yesterday that, as a result of the tests, police have now eliminated Mr Andrew Gill (32), the owner of the guesthouse, who is originally from Northern Ireland; Mr Steven Trigg, (27) from Lowestoft, Suffolk; Mr Nathan Foley (26), who is British/Australian; Mr Stuart Crichton (28) from Australia and Mr Jacquel Wilfried from France.
But Mr Surin Chanpranet (47), the manager of the guesthouse and Mr Abraham Narong (34), the tour guide who took Ms Jones on a trek in the days leading up to her murder, remain "prime suspects", the police chief insisted.