Thai teen's family seeks $70k from Australian murder accused

The family of a Thai teenager, Tunchanok Donhomla, is seeking $70,500 in compensation from her alleged murderer, Australian Simon Carman. Tunchanok, known as 'Cake', was found dead in a discarded suitcase in Pattaya, Thailand, in June. Carman, 45, has maintained his innocence and faces charges of intentional murder, concealing a corpse, moving or destroying a corpse, and abducting a minor for indecent purposes.

If convicted, he could face life imprisonment or the death penalty. The family's civil lawsuit aims to help cover funeral expenses and compensate for the financial support Tunchanok would have provided in the future. The civil and criminal cases are expected to be heard simultaneously, and the outcome of one will not affect the other.

Brief written by urgent.news from ABC News AU's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.