Dead couple's car found in Cilegon

JAKARTA (JP): A missing red Peugeot sedan thought to belong to a couple found dead in the Modernland housing complex in Tangerang was discovered by a tire repair man on Jl. Raya Merak in Cilegon last Tuesday.

Cilegon police chief Lt. Col. Indra said yesterday that the car was found on Tuesday morning, three days before the bodies of businessman Hendra Rusmawan, 47, and his wife Prastiwi, 42, were found at their home.

Indra said that the car had been left at the roadside about 90 kilometers from Tangerang and four kilometers from Merak port, which the main Java-Sumatra ferry service operates out of.

The ignition key and vehicle documents were found inside the car.

Based on preliminary findings, Cilegon and Tangerang detectives strongly believed that suspects in the murder used the car and are now hiding somewhere in Sumatra.

The bodies of Bambang and his wife were found with their hands bound in the bedroom of their home Friday, after the couple's driver, Supadi, and concerned neighbors broke into the house.

The couple are believed to have died several days earlier.

"It is likely that the couple were murdered at dawn of the same day that the car was found," Indra was quoted by Antara as saying.

A Modernland security officer admitted that he saw a red sedan living the housing complex at dawn on Tuesday.

"No scratches were found on the car body. That means the driver was fully skilled in driving such a car," Indra said.

Tangerang police have so far questioned five people in relation to the murder.

The five are identified only as Su and N, drivers for the dead couple, W and A, security guards at the Modernland housing complex and S (23), a relative of the couple.

Tangerang Police chief Lt. Col. Aryanto Boedihardjo said that none of them had been named as suspects. "The investigation is still going on," he said.

Police have collected sandals, rubber hosing and a crowbar found in the victim's bedroom as evidence in the case. They are also awaiting the results of forensic tests to see if the female victim had been raped.

Aryanto refused to give more details about the case. "Please be patient. We're still investigating the case", he said.

The couple were buried at Sewan Public Cemetery in Karang Sari, Tangerang on Saturday. (edt)