Thai Woman Stands Trial in Myanmar for Killing U.S. Diplomat Ex-Husband

A Thai woman went on trial in Myanmar this week for allegedly killing her U.S. diplomat ex-husband by stabbing him in the head and neck. Pavinee Supasirivisan faces murder charges in connection with the death of 43-year-old Daniel Riva, @DailyCaller reported, citing Myanmar authorities.

She is first answering to an alleged immigration violation that applies to any foreigner accused of breaking the law inside the country. Supasirivisan appeared at Kamayut Township Court on Tuesday for a hearing where three prosecution witnesses, including immigration officers, took the stand. Riva died in May at the Sakura Residence and Hotel in Yangon, where the stabbing allegedly occurred.

The hotel sits roughly a mile from the U.S. Embassy and draws diplomats and foreign business travelers. The immigration charge carries six months to five years in prison if found guilty. Myanmar law sets a 10-year-to-life term for general murder, though defendants face potential execution when courts rule there is evidence of premeditation or severe cruelty.

Reporters cannot enter the proceedings. Riva was raised in East Norwich, New York, and held postings in Suriname and East Timor before Yangon. While based in Paramaribo, he served as an assistant regional security officer and Diplomatic Security Service special agent targeting passport and visa fraud along with transnational crime.

Mourners gathered for his funeral in Oyster Bay, New York, on June 13. The State Department confirmed the death of an employee assigned to the U.S. embassy in Yangon in a statement to The Times but did not release the individual's name.

Riva married Supasirivisan, a pastry chef, in June 2018. Thailand's Foreign Ministry confirmed it has granted consular assistance to the woman in custody. The military has ruled Myanmar since seizing power from elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi in 2021, a takeover that touched off a civil war.