A British man, the spouse of a Thai woman discovered deceased in the Yorkshire Dales over two decades ago, has now been apprehended on suspicion of her murder. Lamduan Armitage’s partially unclothed body was stumbled upon by hikers in a stream near Pen-y-ghent in 2004. For 15 years, she remained unidentified until her family caught wind of a BBC News report and came forward.
David Armitage, who had been residing in Thailand following his wife’s passing, was taken into custody upon his return to the UK after Thai authorities revoked his resident visa. North Yorkshire Police, the agency spearheading the investigation, conveyed, “A 61-year-old male has been arrested under suspicion of Lamduan Armitage’s murder in 2004. He is currently being held in police custody for interrogation.”
A group of hikers had paused for a photograph when they noticed Lamduan’s body in the stream [Richard Hill]. Mr. Armitage was apprehended last Thursday at his residence in Kanchanaburi before being relocated to the Bangkok Immigration Detention Centre. Failing to submit an immigration appeal meant that he no longer held the right to reside in Thailand.
He arrived in the UK on Saturday morning and was promptly detained by police as he landed at Heathrow Airport, according to BBC sources. Although the BBC has been unable to directly communicate with Mr. Armitage, reports indicate that he has previously denied any involvement in his wife’s demise.
Formerly known as Seekanya, Mrs. Armitage earned the moniker Lady of the Hills during the efforts to ascertain her identity subsequent to the recovery of her body on September 20, 2004. A post-mortem report revealed that she had passed away between one to three weeks before her discovery, yet the cause of death remained undetermined. Absence of visible trauma and exclusion of hypothermia were noted, yet investigators faced the unresolved queries of her identity and the circumstances leading to her demise.
In 2016, a cold case review was initiated, and advancements in forensic technology allowed authorities to construct a more comprehensive profile, ultimately concluding that foul play was involved. A significant breakthrough occurred three years later when a Thai family, upon reading about the case, believed the deceased woman to be their missing daughter from 2004. The mother of three had resided with her husband in various locations across the UK between 1991 and 2003 [Other].
This development prompted North Yorkshire Police to conduct DNA tests to confirm her identity. It was established that she had relocated to the UK in 1991 with Mr. Armitage after their marriage in Thailand, residing in northern England until her untimely demise. Stay updated with the latest from North Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch the most recent episode of Look North, or share with us a compelling
