Man arrested for slaying employer's family and maid

Man arrested for slaying employer's family and maid

JAKARTA (JP): Police have arrested an man believed to have
killed his employer's wife, eight-year-old daughter and the
family's maid at their mansion in Sunter, North Jakarta.

The suspect, identified as Mujiono, 20, was also believed to
have seriously wounded his employer's other daughter and niece in
the killing Tuesday.

"Based on our preliminary investigation, the suspect's motive
for the killing was simply due to his dissatisfaction over not
receiving the total amount of his salary and his THR," city
police chief Maj. Gen. Hamami Nata said yesterday.

THR is a local acronym referring to the annual bonus given to
employees in relation to special religious celebrations, such as
Idul Fitri for Moslem employees and Christmas for Christians.

"The killing was purely due to an employee-employer problem,"
said Hamami, denying rumors that there was more than one suspect
in the murder.

The suspect is a former servant of Kuswadi and his family.
Kuswadi later hired the suspect as a worker at his project on the
Pulau Bira resort island of the Seribu Islands, city police
spokesman Maj. Nyoman Suryasta said.

The three victims fatally stabbed by the suspected killer are
Kuswadi's wife Imas Setia Basah, 37, daughter Anita and maid
Istiqomah, 20.

The wounded victims are Kuswadi's other daughter, Melissa, 10,
and Imas' niece Irma Yustika, 20, a university student.

Mujiono was captured a few hours later a few meters from the
scene of the crime by a local security guard, Budi Afrianto, who
found him trying to clean the victims' fresh blood from his
hands.

During police questioning, the suspect told investigators that
he came to the family's two-floor mansion on Jl. Sunter Paradise
Raya Blok H/19 at an elite housing complex in Sunter at around 5
p.m. Tuesday. He was planning to ask for the rest of the money
that Kuswadi owed him, said Nyoman.

"According to the suspect, he had been given only Rp 350,000
(US$150) from the total Rp 1,445,000 that the employer should
have paid," said the officer.

Kuswadi was not home at the time. The suspect asked his wife,
Imas, to handle the problem.

"The answer from the woman might not have satisfied him, after
he had spent quite a lot of money and time to go to the house,"
added Nyoman.

When the house lost electricity due to a sudden blackout, the
suspect went to have a drink in the kitchen, where he saw a
knife, said Nyoman.

"With the knife in his hands, the suspect took little Anita in
his arms and sliced the girl's throat," said the officer.

Hearing the scream of her daughter, the girl's mother, Imas,
who was in the garage to check the circuit box, rushed to the
room with a knife in her hands.

However, the woman failed to overcome the suspect. She was
stabbed at least four times by the suspect.

Her maid, Istiqomah, who intended to run for help, was also
stabbed by the suspect. However, her screams were heard by some
passers-by, who immediately reported the case to the security
guards.

Mujiono said he left the scene through a side door of the
house and climbed the wall.

"The suspect is now being detained at city police headquarters
for further investigation," Nyoman said.

Police have also seized the knives allegedly used by the
suspect and his bloodstained clothes. (bsr)