By Natalia Rueda 
Daniel Sancho Bronchalo, better known as a chef on YouTube and son of renowned Spanish actor Rodolfo Sancho, was sentenced to life imprisonment by a Thai court last Thursday. The sentence followed the horrific act of murder committed against a Colombian plastic surgeon Edwin Arrieta during his visit to the popular tourist island of Koh Pha Ngan in August 2023. Due to Sancho’s cooperation during the investigation, he was not sentenced to death penalty.
Sancho, who had been in a pre-trial prison on Koh Samui for 12 months, was found guilty of his vicious act of premeditated murder, which was not limited to murder but also included the dismemberment of his victim. The defendant will also have to pay compensation of more than 100,000 euros to the Arrieta’s family. The verdict handed down by the Thai court has been a subject of controversy and debate, with some arguing that the punishment is appropriate while others feel that the death penalty should have been handed down.
What will happen to Daniel Sancho?
Within 90 days, Daniel will be transferred to a prison located in Bangkok as the prison where he is currently being held, in Koh Samui, does not accept prisoners sentenced to more than 15 years. Since his home country does not have a life sentence, he will not have the possibility to be extradited to Spain for several years and will have to wait a considerable time to be able to complete his sentence in his own country.
The facts
In the summer of 2023, Edwin Arrieta and Daniel Sancho, who met through social networks, decided to spend a vacation together in Thailand. The couple, who had already shared moments in Spain, seemed to have a good relationship. However, on August 1 they were last seen during a dinner. Reports indicate that Sancho had already planned Arrieta’s murder, having hours earlier purchased knives, bags and other items needed to commit the crime, dismember the body and hide the remains.
It was Sancho himself who alerted the authorities about Arrieta’s disappearance. On August 3, 2023, a fisherman found a bag with human remains, and hours later more parts were discovered. Sancho was charged as the prime suspect. Since then, his actions have been the subject of intense investigation and worldwide attention.