In the midst of a busy Saturday evening at the Thai Spice restaurant in Independence, Missouri, a shocking act of violence shattered the ordinary. Inside the kitchen, away from the view of most patrons, 23-year-old Wasinee Sankra was shot and killed. The young woman, an employee at the restaurant, was found on the kitchen floor with a gunshot wound to her head, a pool of blood surrounding her. The tragic event unfolded around 7:20 p.m.
while the restaurant was open and serving customers.
The immediate aftermath was a scene of confusion and horror. A customer eating near the kitchen doorway heard the single gunshot and witnessed Wasinee fall to the ground. As people rushed to her aid, their efforts to save her were in vain; she died at the scene. In the chaos, the customer repeatedly asked who was responsible. A man, later identified as an Asian male, allegedly spoke up and said, “I did it!”
The man who claimed responsibility was 25-year-old Porntrep Phonjaroen, who was not only a coworker but also Wasinee Sankra’s cousin. Investigators quickly took him into custody. Upon reviewing the restaurant's surveillance footage, a chilling sequence of events was revealed. The footage showed Phonjaroen taking a handgun from a bag inside the kitchen and shooting his cousin without any warning. A. 380 caliber shell casing was later recovered from the kitchen.
During a police interview, conducted with the assistance of a Thai interpreter, Phonjaroen admitted to shooting his cousin. He stated that he was upset with her work habits and had fired the shot in an attempt to scare her. Following the incident, a handgun was located in a wooded area behind the restaurant. Porntrep Phonjaroen was subsequently charged with second-degree murder and armed criminal action for the death of his cousin, Wasinee Sankra.
