Police investigating death of French journalist
Police investigating death of French journalist
JAKARTA (JP): City police spokesman Supt. Muhammad Nur Haji
Usman said on Saturday officers were investigating the death of
French journalist Marie Francoise Blain in a five-star hotel on
Jl. Garnizun Dalam in Semanggi, South Jakarta.
The 54-year-old journalist, who was found dead at the hotel on
Thursday, is believed to have been murdered.
"The police have yet to find any preliminary evidence, such as
fingerprints in the hotel room, which is making it difficult for
us to locate any suspects.
"However, the police will prioritize the investigation into
her death since it affects the country's image to the outside
world," Nur said at his office on Saturday.
The body of the victim was discovered when a hotel employee
smelled a bad odor coming from room 2508 on Thursday. The
employee, suspicious of the odor, opened the door and discovered
the victim's body.
The victim, who had stayed at the hotel for a month, was found
with a towel around her neck and two barbells lying close to her
body.
Police sources said the victim might have been chocked with
the towel, and the barbells used to bludgeon her.
Blain was wearing a white T-shirt and black pants when her
body was discovered. Traces of blood were discovered on the
floor, the bedside table and the wardrobe.
After the body was discovered, the hotel reported the incident
to the city police headquarters.
A report from the hotel to the police says the victim may
have been dead since Monday.
The report said the hotel's employees had not cleaned the room
since Monday because a "Do not disturb" sign had been placed on
the door, which was locked.
City police detectives confirmed the victim was a journalist.
"Our personnel have her identity card," said an officer close to
the investigation, Asst. Supt. Tito Karnavian, adding that police
would have to make inquiries in order to learn which media outlet
the victim worked for.
Will
Police also found some documents in the room, including a
letter, believed to be her will, which was dated Aug. 17 this
year. The police have yet to confirm whether the letter was typed
by the victim or by someone else to create the impression that
the victim committed suicide.
In the letter, written in Bahasa Indonesia, Blain asked the
French Embassy to bury her in a Catholic cemetery in Jakarta.
The victim, the daughter of Francois Blain and Marie Louise
Hellio, also made arrangements for her apartment in Paris and
made a bequest to the director of the World Trade Center in
Jakarta, Erwin Ramedhan. (asa)