American citizen found dead at shopping center
American citizen found dead at shopping center
JAKARTA (JP): An elderly American was found dead yesterday morning, with his neck strangled by his own trousers, hanging from an iron gate in an alley of the famous Blok M shopping center in South Jakarta.
Police identified the man as Malthec Langheck, 50, a German- born American citizen residing on Jl. Sibayak Kav. G/118 in Cinere, South Jakarta.
He was an executive of the Yayasan Bina Lalu Lintas dan Angkutan, a foundation dealing with traffic and transport businesses, located on Jl. Pulo Raya IV/8 in Kebayoran Baru.
However, other police sources said the American was Machtel Hans Erich, 70.
The dead body was found hanging from the gate surrounding a high-voltage electricity box in the alley between Aldiron Palza and PD Pasar Jaya building by six security guards at around 5:45 a.m. when the area was still quiet.
According to local police officers, one of the six guards, identified as Fajari Mukarim, was the one who first saw the American walking up and down the alley at around 3:00 a.m.
At around 5:30 a.m., Makarim said that he saw the American again but this time trying to hang himself. Makarim then rushed to find his five other colleagues to inform about what he had just seen.
About 15 minutes later, they arrived on the scene only to find the American dead.
"I don't know why the security guard was not suspicious of the foreigner walking to and fro in such a place. He should have informed a nearby police station sooner," Second Sergeant Tanto WP, told The Jakarta Post at the scene of crime.
Tanto said that there were at least two deep wounds in his chest, one in the back of his head, two slits in his left arm and another serious one in his wrist.
Another senior detective at the South Jakarta police precinct told the Post that the American could have died even without having to strangle himself.
Although forensic scientists are still working on the items found at the scene, police officers -- based on witnesses and evidence available -- strongly believe that the American has committed suicide due to mental pressure.
Local police said that the alley, about five meters in width and 100 meters long, was quiet in late evenings and early mornings.
The neck of the victim was strangled by one part of his light- blue trousers while the other part was fastened to the iron gate. Broken plastic ropes were also found around his neck.
His body was only covered with his white underwear and a shirt, of the same color of his trousers.
At the scene of crime, the police forensic experts found blood stains, a wooden box, broken plastic ropes, broken bottles and pieces of mirrors, all of which were partly covered with blood spots.
Blood stains were also found on the nearby wall, the ground and bars of the iron gate.
The box was found under the American's hanging body, concluding that he used the box to support his body before kicking it away to strangle himself.
His girlfriend, identified as Endang, told the police during questioning that the foreigner had tried to kill himself several times in the last 14 years.
At the victim's body, police also found a prescription from the Dharmawangsa Sanatorium, said Tanto.(bsr)