Spanish Actor's Son Jailed For Life For Brutal Murder Of Plastic Surgeon

The son of a well-known Spanish actor has been sentenced to life imprisonment for killing and dismembering a man on the Thai island of Koh Phangan last year. Daniel Sancho Bronchalo, the son of television star Rodolfo Sancho Aguirre, claimed he acted in self-defence when he killed Colombian plastic surgeon Edwin Arrieta Arteaga. He pleaded guilty to the murder in August 2023, BBC reported.

Sancho, now 30, told the Spanish news agency EFE at the time that he had been a "hostage" to Arrieta, whom he described as obsessed with him. The case has attracted significant attention in Spain, with many journalists travelling to Thailand to cover the trial.

Sancho was found guilty of premeditated murder, concealing a corpse, and destroying property.

A court on the nearby island of Koh Samui, where the trial took place, initially sentenced him to death for murder. However, this was reduced to life imprisonment due to his cooperation during the trial.

Sancho, a chef with his own YouTube channel, was also ordered to pay 4 million baht ($118,000) to compensate Arrieta's family. Bussakorn Kaewleeled, the victim's family lawyer, expressed satisfaction with the verdict.

"The plaintiff is satisfied with the sentence because he (Sancho) will be put in prison for life and they (the plaintiff) receive some financial compensation," Bussakorn told reporters outside the Koh Samui court, as reported by AFP news agency.

Police found parts of Arrieta's body at a landfill in Koh Phangan in early August last year.

Around that time, Sancho reported to the police that Arrieta, then 44, was missing. After further questioning, Sancho confessed to the murder.

Thai media reported that investigations had shown Sancho had purchased a knife, rubber gloves, and a bottle of cleaning agent, leading police to conclude the murder was premeditated.

Sancho later led police to seven locations around the island where he had disposed of Arrieta's dismembered body in plastic bags.

Reports stated that Sancho and Arrieta had agreed to meet after becoming acquainted online.

The defence argued that Sancho acted in self-defence when Arrieta tried to force him into a sexual encounter. In a statement published by the Spanish newspaper El Mundo, Sancho said the plastic surgeon "tried to rape [him]."

Sancho comes from a family of actors; his mother is actress Silvia Bronchalo, and his grandfather was the late actor Felix Angel Sancho Gracia.