David Armitage, 62, who was married to the Lady of the Hills victim Lamduan Armitage, has been detained by cops in Thailand. North Yorkshire Police would like to speak to him if he returns to the UK
British detectives who are hoping to speak to a man following the murder of his wife could finally get their wish after he was detained in Thailand.
David Armitage, 62, has remained at the centre of the cold case mystery after his Thai wife, Lamduan Armitage, was tragically discovered dead in the Yorkshire Dales in September 2004. She wasn’t identified until 2019 and was referred to as the Lady of the Hills until then.
Armitage, who works as a university lecturer in the town of Kanchanaburi, is currently being held by immigration services in the Asian country, where he has resided for almost two decades. According to local media, he if facing deportation following issues with his visa.
But the unrelated detainment could offer a major development in the case, if he is deported back to the UK. The lecturer had previously agreed to meet with cops from North Yorkshire Police’s cold case unit in February 2023. However, he changed his mind and cancelled the important meeting in Thailand, reports The Sun.
Around that time the force issued a statement and said: “Despite the difficulties we have faced to progress the investigation in recent years, we remain determined to seek answers for Lamduan’s family about the circumstances of her being found dead in a beautiful but remote part of the Yorkshire Dales in September 2004.
“It has been frustrating to have had to wait so long to be able to travel to Thailand. We are hoping to speak with all the members of her family, including her husband, to gather their evidence about her life and to offer what support we can with regards to their loss.” Now, North Yorkshire Police have issued a statement on the case and said they would “make every effort to speak to him” if he makes a return.
A North Yorkshire Police spokesperson said: “We are aware of the detention in Thailand of David Armitage, the husband of Lamduan Armitage. We understand it relates to his visa status and residence in Thailand and is entirely a matter for the Immigration Service of the Royal Thai Police. Should Mr Armitage be deported, we understand that he will have a choice as to where he goes, which will include return to the UK. Should that occur, we will again make every effort to speak to him about the investigation.”
