Police question seven over killing of young woman

JAKARTA (JP): South Jakarta Police detectives are questioning seven people as witnesses in connection with the murder and possible rape of a young woman whose body was found in her rented room at Wisma Kos Super Ambassador on Jl. Pedurenan Mesjid in Setiabudi.

"The seven people include the victim's boyfriend, the owner of the building and the guard. The boyfriend and the guard found the body," South Jakarta Police chief of detectives Maj. Ahmad Alwi said.

Police identified the victim as Daisy Mustiko, 24, an employee of oil exploration company PT Petrosea.

Daisy was found lifeless in a pool of blood on the floor of her rented room, officer Alwi said.

The single woman suffered serious wounds to her head and neck. Her face was also bruised.

Separately, other police officers, including South Jakarta Police chief Col. Nono Suprijono, said that detectives who first arrived at the scene also found traces of white fluids, believed to be semen, on the woman's upper thigh.

On Wednesday afternoon, the victim's father John Mustiko Yudo, 60, and wife Nuraini, 45, arrived with relatives at the morgue of Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital from Malang, East Java, and took their daughter's body back to their hometown for burial.

"I could not bring myself to allow an autopsy on my daughter only to find out whether she had been raped or not," John was quoted by Astaga.com as saying.

The decision of Daisy's parents to take the body disappointed the police as they said they badly needed results of an autopsy to help them in their investigation.

Police have discounted robbery as the motive of the crime since none of the victim's valuables, except her Nokia cellular phone, were missing. They are assuming the motive to be personal.

Owned by local resident Budiman Ali, the two-story Wisma Kos Super Ambassador has 54 luxurious rooms, all of which are rented out.

"There were no signs of a break-in. The victim must have known the suspect, or suspects. The only way in was through the door," officer Alwi said.

A senior Setiabudi detective, First Lt. Toga Siambaton, said a witness saw a man, believed to be a local, knocking on the door of the victim's room on Monday night.

"The witness said he (or she) was afraid at the time because he (or she) knew the man well," Toga said.

According to Daisy's boyfriend, Aron Kusnadi, 22, who works for a private firm, he saw his girlfriend for the last time on Sunday, when they both attended services at Theresia Church and later took in a movie.

"She asked if we could meet on Monday. I told her I was a bit busy, and that we would meet on Tuesday," Aron said.

"On Tuesday, I wanted to confirm our date and tried to get her on the phone at her office. The answering machine picked up. I tried her cell phone, but it was dead. After trying several times, I got scared."

At about 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Aron went to Daisy's room and knocked. When there was no answer, he got guard Denny to use a spare key to open the room door.

"The room was in a shambles, everything. The bed was fine, but the blanket had been pulled down to the floor. Her cell phone was missing. Her car, a white Suzuki Katana, was still parked on the premises," Aron said.

He said that Daisy was a very calm person, and that as far as he knew she had no enemies. (ylt/bsr)