An accused killer has shown police how he smashed a backpacker's head with a brick after raping her and dumping her corpse on an idyllic Thai island.
Miriam Beelte, 26, from Hildesheim, Germany, was travelling on the island of Koh Sichang, off the coast of eastern Thailand, when she wasreportedly raped and murdered by local man Ronnakorn Romruen, 24.
Romruen was arrested on suspicion of raping and killing the German tourist on the island of Koh Si Chang in the Gulf of Thailand.
Thai suspect Ronnakorn Romruen, is escorted by police as he arrives at the Koh Sichang police station in Chonburi province, Thailand. Photo / AP
An investigator at Chonburi police station, Somkid Kaensa, said police charged Ronnakorn with murder, rape and concealing a body.
Romruen was arrested shortly after Beetle's body was found - and later re-enacted the attack with in a police station.
The body of the 27-year-old tourist with injuries on head and legs was found Sunday hidden under rocks and a pile of leaves.
Koh Si Chang is a popular weekend tourist destination for both locals and foreigners with a population of only 5000 people. The island is in Chonburi province, about 64km south of Bangkok.
Somkid said a Thai tourist called police after they saw Ronnakorn's clothes covered in blood and police then searched the area and discovered the tourist's body.
Somkid said a flower vendor who knew Ronnakorn also saw that his clothes were covered in blood and asked him what he was doing. Somkid said the vendor identified Ronnakorn for police, who went to his home where they found him and the shirt that was covered in blood.
