New homicide case adds to police's growing caseload
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)