Thirteen students at the University of Tennessee at Martin regional centers took part in a homicide investigation based on a suspicious death in Thailand.
Dr. Mike Gurley, lecturer of criminal justice, received a communicated request Feb. 26 from a colleague in Thailand on behalf of the Department of Special Investigation (DSI), a government agency in Thailand.
Dr. Trynh Phoraksa, a criminologist and faculty member at Mahidol University in Thailand, was seeking professional insight and forensic analysis from experts, leading him to contact Gurley, who not only teaches forensics but is a graduate of the University of Tennessee National Forensics Academy and served as a death scene instructor at the academy and the FBI.
The case that Phoraksa sought help for was a high-profile criminal case in Thailand. It was a case that has raised significant concerns about judicial impartiality and procedural integrity.
Nida Patcharaveerapong, a noted Thai actress, died about 10:40 the night of Feb. 24, 2022. She fell from a speedboat that night into the Chao Phraya River, and her body was recovered two days later. Two months after that, the Royal Thai Police ruled that no foul play was involved in her death, but pressed charges against six people for recklessness and involvement in her death.
Phoraksa advised Gurley that perspectives of international forensic specialists and their institutions carry considerable weight and could influence the stance of the Medical Council in Thailand concerning the investigation.
Gurley and 13 students from four UTM regional centers compiled a detailed forensic review of the case to include several specific forensic investigative review objectives.
Gurley released the UTM research teams’ analysis conclusions April 30 to Phoraksa. All analysis conclusions were sent directly to the DSI.
Students taking part in the investigation and their class, major, hometown and areas of investigation were:
• UTM McNairy County/Selmer Regional Center: Emma Ferrell, senior criminal justice major from Waverly, analysis of the preservation of evidence.
• UTM Parsons Regional Center: Amanda Blankenship, freshman criminal justice major from Parsons, physiological perspective in the death investigation; Chloe Hensley, junior criminal justice major from Lobelville, traumatic brain injury (non-penetrating and penetrating); Shelby Miller, junior criminal justice major from Decaturville, cross-contamination in the chain of DNA evidence; and Riley Robertson, senior psychology major from Lexington, victimology and psychological manipulation of mental illness.
• UTM Ripley Regional Center: Alyssa Bolyard, sophomore criminal justice major, and Lauren Phegley, freshman criminal justice major from Bethel Springs, electronic control module and forensic uncorrupted data recovery; and Brittney L. Lattimore, junior criminal justice major from Ripley, group dynamics, social conformity and mental illness manipulation.
• UTM Somerville Regional Center: Zeanne Curzai, summa cum laude May 2025 graduate from Moscow, Tennessee, waterway natural conditions; Tvarsky Freeman, May 2025 graduate from Oakland, Tennessee, linguistic inconsistencies in testimony; Kyah Malone, senior criminal justice major from Memphis, research review; Cynthia McDonald, junior criminal justice major from Whiteville, propellor hydrodynamics 1; and Dylan McDonald, junior criminal justice major from Bartlett, propellor hydrodynamics 2.
Kara Tapp, director of the UTM Somerville Regional Center, said taking part in the investigation was a great opportunity for the students.
“It was a meaningful and educational experience for them, and a great example of student engagement in real-world applications,” she said.
For more information about the programs offered at the UT Martin regional centers, contact the UTM Office of Regional Centers and Online Programs at outreach@utm.edu or call 731-881-7080.
PHOTO: People from UT Martin and its regional centers who assisted with the investigation analysis of a Thailand case included (l-r) Tvarsky Freeman, Cynthia McDonald, Zeanne Curzai, Dr. Mike Gurley, Kyah Malone and Dylan McDonald.
