Francis Alex Degioanni was shot by two men on a motorcycle as he sat in a black Toyota

Canadian real estate developer died on his birthday after he was riddled with bullets by two men on a motorcycle.At the time of the attack, Francis Alex Degioanni was sitting in his black Toyota outside his seven-story Panorama Condominium block, located in a hillside area off Nanai Rd in South Patong.Kathu Police officers were alerted to the incident at around 8.30 pm. They hurried to the scene along with doctors from Patong Hospital and rescue workers from the Kusoldharm Foundation.
Medical examination showed Mr Degioanni had seven .38 caliber bullet wounds in his body, four in his arms, one in the head, one in the neck and one in the chest.
Mr Degioanni’s girlfriend, Nanthawadee Phenjaroenwatthana, said that before the incident the two of them were in the condo building waiting to go out to celebrate his birthday. Mr Degioanni received a telephone call and told her he had to go out for a short while to take care of some business, she said.When Mr Degioanni got into his car, two men pulled up on a motorbike and opened fire. They then fled, Ms Nanthawadee said.Kathu Police Superintendent Grissak Songmoonark said that Mr Degioanni had been doing business in Phuket for five years, selling condominiums in Patong to foreign tourists.The attack may have been the result of a business dispute, but police were also investigating other motives including romantic jealously, he said.At the time of his death, Mr Degioanni was involved in a court case, having allegedly being cheated out of 20 million baht in a real estate scam, Col Grissak added.Wealthy Canadian real estate developer in Thailand was shot and killed on a popular resort island Thursday, a local Thai newspaper is reporting. The Phuket Gazette says that Francis Alex Degioanni was shot by two men on a motorcycle as he sat in a black Toyota outside a condominium in the tourist town of Patong in the southern Thai island of Phuket. Degioanni was shot multiple times by .38 calibre bullets with seven entering his body, four in his arms, one in his head, one in his neck and one in his chest, the newspaper reported. His girlfriend, a local woman identified as Nanthawadee Phenjaroenwatthana, told the newspaper that she and Degioanni were supposed to go out and celebrate his birthday Thursday before she received a call that he had to run an errand before their meeting. Kathu Police Superintendent Grissak Songmoonark told the paper that Degioanni had been living in Thailand for five years. His business involved selling condominiums in Patong to foreigners. Songmoonark said that police were investigating whether a current court case involving Degioanni led to the killing. He was currently settling a dispute with a business partner who claimed that they had been cheated out of 20 million baht (C$704,822). Police were also reportedly investigating a motive involving romantic ties, the newspaper said.Police Region 8 Commander Santarn Chayanon arrived in Phuket yesterday to personally oversee the investigation into the murder of Francis Alex Degioanni, the Canadian man who was shot and killed by two men outside his Panorama Condominium office on February 19.Police Region 8 Commander Santarn Chayanon arrived in Phuket yesterday to personally oversee the investigation into the murder of Francis Alex Degioanni, the Canadian man who was shot and killed by two men outside his Panorama Condominium office on February 19.Lt Gen Santarn then chaired a two-hour meeting at Kathu Police station to discuss the case. Among those attending were Provincial Police Commander Apirak Hongtong, Kathu Police Superintendent Grissak Songmoonnak, investigating officers and tourist police.They discussed the possibility that the killing was the result of a dispute over a joint business venture. Mr Degioanni is understood to have been involved in a court case with a former Thai business partner over the alleged disappearance of 20 million baht.Police have yet to rule out other possible motives, however.Lt Gen Santarn ordered investigators to examine closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage from cameras at streets nearest the crime scene.The seven bullet wounds sustained by Mr Degioanni included both .38 and .327 caliber slugs, it was reported.Phuket Governor Preecha Ruangjan yesterday said he had ordered an expedited investigation because a quick arrest would help maintain Phuket's image as a safe tourist destination.Meanwhile, The Vancouver Sun has reported that Mario Degioanni, the victim’s father, said that Francis “had become increasingly nervous during the phone calls he made to his parents twice a week,” and that last month he had been poisoned and hospitalized.

A local cable television news program in Phuket City last night broadcast extended and graphic footage of Mr Degioanni’s naked body being examined by medical staff at Patong Hospital. One of the slugs had entered his neck near the carotid artery.
The Gazette was unable to confirm reports in a local Thai-language newspaper that police already have a suspect in custody.That regional police are directly involved in the investigation reflects the high-profile nature of the case, which has drawn more international interest than any of the many killings in Phuket since the stabbing murder of Swedish tourist Hanna Backlund in Mai Khao last March.

Posted in: Thailand.