Parafield Gardens stabbing: Cambodian man extradited to Adelaide over Thea Kheav’s murder
A man who reportedly fled to Cambodia after the death of a young man 17 years ago was arrested by police at the airport upon his return to Australia.
Detectives from the Victorian Homicide Branch and the South Australian Major Crime Investigation Branch arrested 36-year-old Kim Long Rim at Melbourne Airport on Saturday over the murder of 21-year-old Thea Kheav on December 1, 2007.
He had just landed after flying from Bangkok and was extradited to Adelaide later that evening.
Mr Kheav was fatally stabbed at an 18th birthday party in Parafield Gardens, north Adelaide, after an altercation between his brother and another group.
That group initially left the party, but is said to have returned and attacked the 21-year-old.
Thea Kheav (pictured) died of blood loss after suffering more than 30 injuries at a party in 2007
Three other men – Chansyna Duong, Tuan Kiet David Huynh and Rotha Sem – were convicted of Mr Kheav’s death and given life sentences with non-parole periods of 20 years.
Their subsequent appeals to the Supreme Court were dismissed.
South Australia police later revealed a fourth suspect had been identified in the investigation, but claimed he had fled to Cambodia four weeks after Mr Kheav’s murder.
Rim was arrested by Cambodian police in 2008, but his extradition to Australia was rejected by the Cambodian High Court.
He was released after three months in custody.
Victorian homicide detectives and detectives from the South Australian Major Crime Investigation Branch arrested Kim Long Rim (centre) in connection with Mr Kheav’s death
SA Police allege Rim was part of the group that attacked Mr Kheav on December 1, 2007 (photo, crime scene)
Rim, who previously lived in Salisbury North, was arrested at Melbourne Airport about 7.30am on Saturday.
Two detectives escorted Rim through Adelaide Airport 13 hours later.
Rim had little to say to waiting reporters, but is said to have said ‘no’ when asked if he had killed Mr Kheav.
Rim will spend a second night at Adelaide City Watch House on an arrest warrant for murder.
He will appear in the Adelaide Magistrates Court on Monday.
During a trial in 2011, the jury heard that the group had beaten Mr Kheav ‘extensively’ with blocks of wood, kicked and punched him and probably cut his face with a machete.
He died of blood loss after sustaining more than 30 wounds.
The fatal blow injured Mr Kheav’s liver, diaphragm, left lung and heart.