The husband of a woman found dead in the Yorkshire Dales was not available when police attempted to meet with him in Thailand.
In a stream not far from Pen-y-ghent, walkers found Lamduan Armitage, nee Seekanya,'s half-naked body in 2004.
Her true identity was unknown for 15 years until relatives from Thailand came forward and provided DNA evidence that it was their daughter.
Police have spoken to her parents, but they haven't been able to meet with her husband David Armitage.
The case could not be advanced, according to North Yorkshire Police, before they left for Thailand on February 15, without "understanding from Lamduan's family all the aspects about her life and particularly the last few months of her life.".
They have cooperated with the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) of the Thai police while they have been there in response to a request from the force for witness interviews in Udon Thani, Bangkok, and Kanchanaburi.
Mr. Armitage initially agreed to come and give testimony, according to Udomkann Warotamasikkhadit, head of the DSI's division of foreign affairs and international relations.
However, he claimed that he declined that day and continued, "He said he didn't feel well and also had some personal issues. ".
The lack of being able to "seek the views of the entire family around Lamduan's remains" was "unfortunate," according to Adam Harland, manager of the major investigation team's cold case review unit.
While the DSI carried out its inquiries, Mr. Harland stated that the officers would now return to North Yorkshire.
Lamduan's body was discovered on September 20, 2004, but no cause of death could be determined after a post-mortem examination.
Detectives were unable to provide an answer to the two main questions of who she was and how she died because there were no signs of violence and hypothermia was ruled out.
She was buried in Horton-in-Ribblesdale's churchyard at locals' expense, earning her the nickname "The Lady of the Hills.".
When a cold case review was initiated in 2016, scientific developments allowed police to piece together a more thorough picture of who she was and ultimately came to the conclusion that she had been murdered.
A Thai family who read a BBC online story about the case and thought the woman might be their daughter who disappeared in 2004 led to a significant development in the case's investigation in 2019.
In order to confirm Mrs. Armitage's identity, North Yorkshire Police used DNA testing in conjunction with her parents.
It was determined that she and Mr. Armitage had moved to the UK in 1991 after getting married in Thailand and had been residing there before her passing.
The Sun reports that Mr. Armitage, who later traveled back to Thailand, has previously claimed not to have been responsible for the passing of his wife.
From speaking with Lamduan's mother Joomsri Seekanya, Mr. Harland learned that the family's fervent desire was to have her daughter's body returned to Thailand.
However, he claimed that a memorial book was given to the family, displaying the location of Lamduan's grave and the manner in which the neighborhood had treated her.
"Mr. and Mrs. Seekanya were deeply touched by this and asked that their sincere gratitude and appreciation be conveyed to the people of Horton-in-Ribblesdale.
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