Husband arrested over Thai woman's 2004 death

The body of a Thai woman, discovered in the Yorkshire Dales over two decades ago, has led to the arrest of her British husband on suspicion of murder. The semi-naked remains of Lamduan Armitage were found by hikers in a stream near Pen-y-ghent in 2004. Her identity remained unknown for 15 years until her family saw a BBC news report and contacted the police.

David Armitage had been living in Thailand since his wife's death. He was arrested shortly after returning to the UK, following the revocation of his residency visa by Thai authorities. North Yorkshire Police are currently investigating the case, stating, "A 61-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of the murder of Lamduan Armitage in 2004. He remains in police custody for questioning."

It is understood that Mr. Armitage was detained at his home in Kanchanaburi, Thailand, last Thursday before being transferred to an immigration detention center in Bangkok. His failure to submit an immigration application meant he no longer had the right to remain in Thailand. He returned to the UK on Saturday morning and was arrested shortly after arriving at Heathrow Airport.

While the BBC has not been able to reach Mr. Armitage, The Sun newspaper reports that he had previously stated he was not involved in his wife's death. Mrs. Armitage, originally named Sikania, was known as the "Lady of the Hills" during the identification process after her remains were discovered on September 20, 2004.

A post-mortem examination determined that she had died between one and three weeks before her body was found, but the cause of death could not be established. While there were no signs of violence and hypothermia was ruled out, detectives were left with two main questions: who was she and how did she die? A cold case review was launched in 2016, and advancements in science and technology enabled police to learn more about her identity and conclude she had been murdered. A major breakthrough came three years later when a Thai family saw coverage of the case and believed the woman could be their daughter who had gone missing in 2004. This prompted North Yorkshire Police to conduct DNA tests to confirm her identity.

The investigation determined that she had moved to the UK after marrying Mr. Armitage in Thailand in 1991 and had been living in the north of England until her death. North Yorkshire Police are continuing their investigation and are appealing for anyone with information to come forward.