The bodies of a retired British businessman and his Thai wife have today been found in their garden after a six-day search.
Three hitmen have admitted killing Alan Hogg, 64, and his wife Nott, 61, after they were hired by her brother for £1,175 following family feuds over money, police said.
Mr Hogg was blasted with a shotgun near his swimming pool and his wife was beaten to death with a hammer in the garage of their mansion, detectives believe.
The bodies were found by sniffer dogs two metres deep behind a duck pond outside their home in Phrae, northern Thailand.
They were excavated at 12pm local time and have been sent to hospital for post mortem examinations.
Alan Hogg (far right), 64, and wife Nott, 61, with their brand new pick-up truck, which was stolen when they disappeared
Police dig up the grounds of Mr Hogg’s home on Tuesday as they search for his body
Police searched for the couple after they were reported missing on Thursday
The three hitmen confessed to the murder and burying the bodies and said Mr Hogg’s brother-in-law Warut Satchakit, 63, paid them, police said.
Warut, who was initially arrested for stealing the couple’s brand new white Ford Ranger pick-up truck, has been arrested again after the bodies were found. He denies any involvement in the deaths.
Officers arrived at the home today at 10.30am and used excavator to dig an area next to the duck pond in the 32-acre grounds of Mr Hogg’s gated three-storey home, which also includes a swimming pool, summerhouse, cattle farm and geese.
The two corpses were late found in the two-metre deep grave with their shoes still on.
Major General Sanpat Praputsra, who have been investigating the case, said: ‘Warut Satchakit has been arrested again for the theft of the car and being involved with the murder.
A retired British millionaire and his Thai wife (pictured on their wedding day) were for five days since a friend found blood on the walls of their mansion after a family feud with in-laws
Businessman Alan Hogg, 64, and his wife Nott, 61, were reported missing on Thursday. Pictured: Their home in Thailand
‘Three suspects were traced from forensic checks on the car. They have confessed to the murder of Mr Alan and his wife Nott.
‘They used a shotgun to kill Alan and said they buried him near the ducks. The villains used a hammer to murder his wife in the garage.’
Three people were involved in the murders with the instructions that it was their duty to kill the targets. They said that the victims were then buried in the garden.
‘Teams from provincial police region 5 are using an excavator to search for the bodies which will be sent to hospital for post mortem examinations.’
Police arrested the three men from Wang Chin district, Phrae, this morning after they discovered Alan’s pick-up truck yesterday and returned it for forensic examinations.
Investigators found that the truck had been sold to nearby hill tribe people for 200,000 baht who then sold it to a man from Lao for 420,000 baht in Sukhothai last Friday.
The Laos man then drove it to Ayutthaya on a business trip, until he learnt from media reports that police were looking for the vehicle and he contacted authorities.
The wife’s brother, Warut Satchakit, was arrested over the disappearance but bailed. Pictured: The couple together
Blood was found on the walls of Mr Hogg’s swimming pool changing rooms with signs someone had tried to wipe it away. Pictured: Police divers search for them
Mr Hogg, originally from Edinburgh, Scotland, arrived in Thailand several years ago having worked as an engineer in Australia. Pictured: Police divers
The man turned the truck over to police in Ayutthaya on Sunday. He and the two sellers were then taken to Phra That Chor Hae police station to be interrogated.
Officers began searching the grounds yesterday with sniffer dogs. They found a gardening hoe and a freshly dug hole but they did not find the bodies.
The couple were initially reported missing last Thursday when friends had unsuccessfully tried to contact them on messaging app Line.
Blood stains – with signs someone had tried to wipe them away – were found in the swimming pool changing rooms. A phone had been left charging in the living room.
The couple’s daughter Robyn Hogg, 31, a production assistant, flew to Thailand from the UK after being alerted to her parents’ disappearance.
Alan, a former engineer from Edinburgh, Scotland, had been involved with several businesses in the UK and was an active director of a laundry company in Bonnyrigg, Edinburgh.
The couple travelled regularly to Australia, where Alan previously worked in offshore construction, for lengthy holidays.
Neighbours described his wife as ”the most beautiful woman in the town” and said that Alan was ”very friendly” and often helped them. They told local media that he was a ”millionaire”.
Neighbours described Mr Hogg’s wife as ‘the most beautiful woman in the town’. Pictured: A police officer examines clues at the scene
Mr Hogg’s brother-in-law denied any involvement in their disappearance and police did not have enough evidence to charge him. Pictured: A meeting to discuss the case
Officers continued their hunt today checking the couple’s home, swimming pool, reviewing CCTV footage from the area