New homicide case adds to police's growing caseload
JAKARTA (JP): After being puzzled by the discovery of two mutilated female bodies over the last seven days, the city was hit again yesterday by the finding of a third unidentified female body in North Jakarta.
The victim, a girl believed to be about 15 years old, however, was not mutilated.
A kangkung (water spinach) grower found the body on Jl. Pegangsaan II in Kelapa Gading at about 1:30 a.m., Lt. Col. Rismawan, head of the North Jakarta Police precinct, said yesterday.
The girl, who had fair skin and was about 150 centimeters in height, bore strangulation marks on her neck, Rismawan said.
She was found in a blue T-shirt and brown jeans.
No other details were available.
The body was immediately sent to Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital for a postmortem.
As of yesterday, forensic experts at the hospital have yet to glean further clues on the second unidentified mutilated female body found floating in a fish pond in Pondok Ranggon subdistrict in East Jakarta early Saturday.
Police are currently investigating both cases in addition to the discovery of female body parts on June 21 in Tangerang.
Agus Purwadianto, one of the hospital's forensic experts, said yesterday that the mutilated body found Saturday was believed to have died from suffocation.
The body was found with no head, neck, right arm, left hand, right shin and left foot.
The remains found reportedly showed no signs of bruises or cuts indicating physical violence aside from the mutilations.
"It's apparent to me that her neck was cut first, and that the other parts were dismembered afterwards," Agus told The Jakarta Post yesterday.
The victim is estimated to have been between 18 and 30 years old.
The mutilation pattern showed signs of similarity to the first victim whose torso has yet to be found.
Agus said the mutilations were probably intended to distract the public from other social or political issues.
"I once studied criminology and it's possible that it may happen," he said, without further elaborating.
"And I think the killer was in a hurry, and there are few indications whether he or she was a professional or an amateur," he said.
Agus believed the second victim was someone who really cared about her appearance and physical fitness.
"Her shape and skin were apparently well-cared for, so she was not just some low-paid factory worker or unlucky vagrant."
The forensic department plans to carry out a series of tests on the body today and may have results by tomorrow, Agus said.
The tests will check for any poisonous substances in the body and will further examine the bones to determine a fixed age and height.
The experts are also hoping for any new developments in the police's investigation of the case.
Marsudi, an employee at the hospital's morgue, said a family has claimed they were 80 percent certain that the body was their missing family member.
"They will make sure after the head is found," Marsudi said.
Edward, one of the family members, told Marsudi that his cousin Khairanti had left her house in Jaka Sampurna housing complex Friday and has been missing since.
"She's about 25 years old and has a scar from an appendectomy," Marsudi quoted Edward as saying. (emf/edt)