Mother of six stabbed to death in S. Jakarta

JAKARTA (JP): A mother of six was found dead with multiple stab wounds in a quiet South Jakarta housing complex on Tuesday morning.

Ratna Suryati, 42, was found at 9:30 a.m. by her fifth eldest child, Mudi Yuliani, 11, lying on the blood-stained floor of the living room.

The elementary school teacher's throat had also been cut.

The murderer, believed to be a group of at least two men, fled in her family's Kijang van, but a BMW sedan remained parked in the garage.

Zainal Abidin, one of Ratna's relatives, said her husband, Johan Pahlevi, 46, was in London after completing a one-week trip to New York. He is an employee of Bank Indonesia.

Johan was scheduled to arrive home next week, Zainal said.

South Jakarta police detectives collecting evidence at the house on Jl. C in the Bank Indonesia housing complex in Tebet were still trying to determine the motive.

South Jakarta police detective chief Capt. Rycko Amelza Daniel believed at least two suspects were involved because of the number of footprints on the white ceramic floors.

"The victim seemed to know the suspects well and they (suspects) entered the house like ordinary guests or acquaintances. They took off their sandals and shoes outside the house and then talked with the victim in the living room where the murder took place."

One of Ratna's next-door neighbors, Mrs. Priyono Anggoro, said she saw two men entering the house's yard before the murder.

"But I didn't really pay attention to them as one of them often came to Ratna's house. I think he's a relative," she said.

Abdul Gafur, a gardener in the housing complex, said he saw the victim's van driven away at high speed by two unidentified men.

"Bu Ratna usually drove the car slowly, but at around 10 a.m. the two men drove off it in a hurry."

Ratna used the Kijang to drive to her school in the Pasar Minggu area. She taught at noon.

Police had yet to determine whether other items were stolen from the house.

"We haven't checked the house so we can't say whether there are any other missing valuables. We deliberately prevented Ratna's children from entering the house to prevent them from being shocked," Zainal told reporters.

A frightened Mudi, accompanied by her elder brothers and sister, still refused to speak to strangers, including the police.

"Mudi went home early after she attended the mid-term examinations at her school," her elder brother, Ahmad Arisyah, said.

"As soon as she found our mother, she ran back to her school not far away from the house to tell our younger brother, Ibob."

Neighbors heard Mudi's screams and rushed to the house. They said they were stunned at what they saw.

"I was speechless as moments earlier I saw her still alive, greeting me as usual," said Puji, a neighbor's housemaid.

The Pahlevis moved to the housing complex from Padang, West Sumatra, two years ago. Neighbors described them as a devout family. (emf)