MIRI: Debt is believed to be the motive in the murder of a 52- year-old widow whose body was found floating by a fisherman in Sungai Miri near Kampung Pulau Melayu here at 6.30 am on Saturday. The decomposed body was found fully clothed with the head wrapped in a sack and tied at the waist.
State CID chief, Datuk Dev Kumar said initial investigation found that among the motives of the suspect, a 25-year-old man who was arrested at 7.30am on Monday at the Pelita Commercial Centre was because he owed the victim who was also his former girlfriend.
According to Dev, the investigation also found that the suspect was the last person with the victim before she went missing. “Following the discovery of an unidentified body, the investigation team reviewed missing person reports in nearby districts including calling family members to identify the body.
“On December 3, the investigation team found a police report lodged at the Mukah Police Station of a 52-year-old Melanau woman who left home on November 27 and did not return home.
“The woman’s family members were then contacted to identify the body and the positive identification was based on the clothes worn by the victim,” he said at a press conference in Miri Central Police Station here, yesterday morning. Datuk Dev also confirmed that the woman has been identified as Yeong Musa by her son based on the birthmark found on her body.
He added that with the arrest of the suspect the police believed the mystery of the woman’s death is solved. Dev also said a Proton Iswara car believed used by the suspect to take the victim’s body to a river was also seized. “The self-employed suspect is being remanded for seven days to assist in investigation. He is expected to be charged under Section 302 of the Penal Code for murder,” he said.
In the meantime, Dev congratulated the investigation team of the Mir i Distr ict Cr iminal Investigation Department (CID) for identifying and arresting the suspect within a short time. “What is interesting in this investigation is that it is solved even before the victim is identified.
“I was shocked when told of a suspect’s arrest while the victim’s identity was still unknown. Congratulations to the Miri police investigation team,” he said. Also present at the press conference was Miri Deputy Police chief, Superintendent Stanley Jonathan Ringgit.
