PHUKET, THAILAND—Authorities reported on Tuesday, April 25 that a Thai man hanged his 11 month-old daughter and himself in an abandoned hotel in Phuket, Thailand. A memorial was held for the deceased infant on Saturday, April 29.

20 year-old Wuttisan Wongtalay with 11 month-old Beta
20 year-old Wuttisan Wongtalay with 11 month-old Beta.

Wuttisan Wongtalay, the 20 year-old father and husband of Jiranuch Trirat (the child’s mother), 21, posted live video footage of the girl’s death on Facebook before shutting off the camera and taking his own life. In the video, Wongtalay was seen tying a rope around his daughter’s neck before throwing her off the roof of the deserted building. Viewers could hear the girl, Beta, screaming and crying.

Officers arrived at the scene after being notified of the video. According to Colonel Jirasak Siemsak, they discovered the hanging bodies of Wongtalay and Beta.

The video reportedly received more than half a million views before it was removed approximately 24 hours later. It was also uploaded on YouTube, but removed 15 minutes later.

Some reports disclose that Wongtalay suspected Trirat was having an affair, while others state that the couple had been disputing and that Wongtalay feared his wife would leave him.

At Beta’s memorial service, which was held on Saturday, family members and other attendees buried the girl and a number of her toys on Phuket, a southern island.

“I want to apologize with all my heart for the video that was shared and for the likes that people clicked on it. I apologize for what my son did. I want to tell young people who are having difficulties in their family life that they can talk to their parents. Don’t let your current state of mind overwhelm you,” said Wongtalay’s mother, Jinda Raksakham.

Facebook officials are navigating ways to prevent videos with violent content from being posted on the site. The murder-suicide case took place nearly two weeks after a man in Cleveland, Ohio broadcasted a video of the murder of an elderly man.

Deputy police representative Kissana Phathanacharoen noted that this incident was the first in Thailand known to be broadcasted on Facebook.