Who is Jon LaChappelle, the American businessman from Connecticut, who decided to pursue a new life in Thailand?
FOX News in November 2009
Dateline: Aired on December 18, 2010
Chris Hansen from Dateline flew to Thailand for this investigation news.
Click on the link to view full Dateline episode from Youtube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XRCg3xggWq4
(2010) Four years after an American businessman is murdered in Thailand, investigators are faced with more questions than answers in a case involving an alleged hit man and an ex-fiancee. Chris Hansen reports. I do not own any part of this video. Copyright credit_ Dateline NBC
CHARLESTOWN, R.I. (WPRI) - When Rhode Islander Jon LaChappelle was gunned down 8,000 miles away in Thailand three years ago, it was a shocking murder that devastated a local family and left them drowning in international red tape. Now, this homicide investigation includes a surprising twist. A twist that may lead all the way back to New England.
The family believes this was a murder-for-hire. They supplied Target 12 with emails from the government and embassy in Thailand, as well as international press accounts at the time of the murder.
The Murder
Three years ago, American businessman Jon LaChappelle answered the front door to his Thailand home. On the other side was a man wielding a shotgun. The first blast hit LaChappelle in the stomach. The second hit his lower back; an indication he may have been trying to get away.
Twenty-four hours later and 8,500 miles away, the phone rang at his sister's house in Rhode Island.
"At first I just could not register that he could possibly be gone. And the way she told me it was so... cold," said Cheryl Rebello, LaChappelle's sister.
Delivering the news on the other end of the phone was LaChappelle's fiancé, Dara Panasy, who was living in Connecticut.
"I was just screaming, 'Please don't be telling me this,'" Rebello said.
The Red Tape
Rebello and her father Jon LaChappelle, Sr. said they have been struggling with the tragedy and struggling to get answers since the murder.
Six years ago, LaChappelle started an import-export business in Thailand, moving products like tique and coffee and turning a serious profit.
"He loved it there," Rebello said.
"Always making money. And that's what took him out," said LaChappelle, Sr.
Jon LaChappelle was a colorful character. He had a pet monkey and while growing up in Charlestown, Rhode Island, he was no boy scout. He had brushes with the law and press accounts at the time of his murder claim he was being sued in Thailand over a money dispute. But the investigation led elsewhere. Three months after he was gunned down, Thai police made an arrest.
"I felt really good. I felt justice has been served," his father said.
The accused were LaChappelle's assistant who went by "James," and the man authorities say James hired to pull the trigger. Then, a shocking twist. According to press accounts in Thailand, James confessed it was LaChappelle's fiancé, Dara Panasy, who ordered the hit.
"Three days before my son was murdered, she wired $8,500 to James," LaChappelle, Sr. said.
The motive, according to James; Panasy wanted to claim LaChappelle's estate.
"I estimate about three to four million dollars in assets and cash," LaChappelle's father said.
"She just looked at me and she says 'I have the will, it's in my name, and this morning I'm going to my lawyer.," Rebello said of her would-have-been sister-in-law.
Panasy, according to the family, eventually gained control of LaChappelle's assets. In 2007, the media overseas reported Thai authorities were seeking to extradite Panasy. The LaChappelle family said the FBI has told them there is a warrant for her arrest in Thailand. However, the FBI won't comment to Target 12, saying it's an active investigation.
But still, the family says there has been no movement, no extradition, and no justice.
Target 12 has learned U.S. Senator Jack Reed's office is now involved.
"The LaChappelle family has suffered a grievous loss and they simply want justice to be done," said Sen. Jack Reed, (D) Rhode Island.
He sent a letter to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and the Department of Justice urging the Thai government to take action.
"The hold up is not from our State Department, it's from the government of Thailand requesting extradition of this individual who is in the United States," Reed said.
Back in Thailand, the two men accused were locked up. But, in a stunner to the family, they were released from prison while awaiting trial.
"Until somebody signs a piece of paper to say here's the extradition paper then the FBI can't pick her up," said LaChappelle, Sr. "Until that happens, nothing happens."
Target 12 made repeated efforts to contact Dara Panasy, who was last known to live in Connecticut. We spoke to the Rhode Island attorney who handled the estate. He said he would pass along our message to her. We have yet to get a call back.
Copyright WPRI 12
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Noni1 ·
Following the payment, LaChapelle had disappeared. After checking the
company profile, the partner discovered that Worldwide International
Export Co. Ltd. did not exist. On discovering this, they filed fraud
charges against LaChapelle.
ICO lawyers had managed to contact LaChapelle and arranged to negotiate the debt with the aggrieved party at the company’s offices near Payap University. LaChapelle, however, never turned up for the appointment.
At present police believe there are two possible motives for the murder: the fraud and the fact that LaChapelle was committing adultery with a Thai woman. Police also believe that the murderer was known to LaChapelle.
ICO lawyers had managed to contact LaChapelle and arranged to negotiate the debt with the aggrieved party at the company’s offices near Payap University. LaChapelle, however, never turned up for the appointment.
At present police believe there are two possible motives for the murder: the fraud and the fact that LaChapelle was committing adultery with a Thai woman. Police also believe that the murderer was known to LaChapelle.
Noni1 ·
I see someone who may have been involved in smuggling, Tax evasion,
Contractor Fraud and Keeping his Fiance financially and emotionally
captive, Racist and need I keep going>>>
personally I knew jon I met him in thailand and I was not surprize to
hear that he die/murder with the way that he was living and acting in
thailand, thinking that he was better than all the thai's c'mon now you
live in thier country, I have live in thailand for sometimes belive me
when I tell you that thailand isn't america there is so much corruption
here things aren't appear to be what it is police beating are everywhere
just to get confesstion so that they can close thier case and get
promoted, I belive that the accused are innocent !!!!
PS I was in thialand during this time I watch the new read the papers and you can't belive everything that you read when 10 diffence story being in the paper CORUPTION ALL THE WAY !!!
PS I was in thialand during this time I watch the new read the papers and you can't belive everything that you read when 10 diffence story being in the paper CORUPTION ALL THE WAY !!!
This is a sad story. I don't think this man was a moral or ethical man
at all. An inoccent man does not take a plea on a rape case. He has a
long history of breaking the law. I think that may be part of the
problem of why the case stalled. I don't think the former girlfriend had
anything to do with it. Seems she was used as a scape goat by a man who
was being tortured for a confession. If he would of been an upstanding
business man who made timely payments to his employees this may not have
happened. When you live like a con man outside the law,well shady
things happen, that's part of the game
Innocent people confess to rape crimes more often than you think.
Especially those who find themselves having sex with underage individuals. http://womensrights.change.org/blog/view/dna_test...
"DNA tests have exonerated 258 wrongfully convicted persons, many of whom were in jail for rape."
Matt Kelley.
I believe he may have accepted the charge because his girlfriend at the time was 16 and he was 19. He broke the law because he had sex with a minor.
Especially those who find themselves having sex with underage individuals. http://womensrights.change.org/blog/view/dna_test...
"DNA tests have exonerated 258 wrongfully convicted persons, many of whom were in jail for rape."
Matt Kelley.
I believe he may have accepted the charge because his girlfriend at the time was 16 and he was 19. He broke the law because he had sex with a minor.
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