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)