Daniel Sancho will remain behind bars in Thailand after a court dismissed all appeals and confirmed his life sentence for the premeditated murder of Colombian surgeon Edwin Arrieta. The decision closes the door on both the defense and prosecution’s attempts to alter the outcome.
At 10:00 in the morning, judges in Thailand shut down every challenge to Daniel Sancho’s life sentence. The courtroom left no doubt. Sancho stays in prison for the murder of Colombian surgeon Edwin Arrieta. Both sides—Sancho’s defense and the victim’s family—had tried to change the outcome. The court refused. No more debate. The sentence stands.
This ruling confirmed the August 2024 verdict from Koh Phangan. Sancho was found guilty of premeditated murder. The court pointed to his first confession. That spared him the death penalty. Instead, he got life in prison. Ramón Chippirrás, Sancho’s lawyer, now has to study the full written judgment. It must be translated before the defense can plan its next move. According to several independent reports, the appellate decision came from the Phuket court but was formally announced by the Samui court, which handled the case first. The order for compensation to Arrieta’s family remains in place. This was reported by El País and La Voz de Galicia.
The prosecution had requested the death penalty be reinstated, while the defense sought a new trial; both appeals were rejected by the Thai court.
Sancho is the son of actor Rodolfo Sancho and investment analyst Silvia Bronchalo. Prosecutors said he planned and carried out the killing in August 2023. The defense argued the death happened during a fight, claiming it was an accident during an alleged sexual assault. The court did not accept this. The evidence was enough to keep the original conviction. Spanish and international media, citing official court statements, confirmed the life sentence and the rejection of all appeals.
Edwin Arrieta’s family wanted the death penalty. Sancho’s lawyers pushed for a retrial. Both requests failed. The case is closed. The prosecution’s story of premeditation won out. The defense’s claim of self-defense did not convince the judges. The August 2024 verdict had already reduced the death sentence to life because Sancho confessed early. Todo Alicante and Libertad Digital highlighted this detail in their coverage.
Throughout the process, the Koh Samui court’s position never changed. The evidence was strong. Appeals went nowhere. Thailand’s justice system sent a clear message about the limits of appeal in cases like this.
Some reports indicate that a separate hearing on the prosecution's appeal was scheduled for October 7, suggesting that not all procedural matters were fully closed at the time of the initial announcements. Additionally, sources note that, in theory, a further appeal to Thailand's Supreme Court remained possible, though this was not addressed in the latest ruling.
Now, with appeals exhausted, Sancho’s options are almost gone. The defense must wait for the official translation of the court’s reasoning before thinking about any last-ditch measures. For now, the case is settled. Thai courts rarely budge in high-profile murder cases. For Daniel Sancho, life in prison is no longer a question. It is reality.
