Suspect admits to strangling girl for jewelry

Marni Masim, 36 -- the sole suspect in the murder of an elementary schoolgirl, Nita, 8, in Bogor regency -- admitted that she had strangled the girl purely to steal her jewelry.

Marni, a snack vendor at Nita's school, told police investigators on Wednesday that she had panicked when Nita threatened to tell her father of Marni's wrongdoing.

She grabbed Nita's gold necklace and earrings after the girl bought some snacks at her stall on Monday and then wrung the neck of the student of state SD 02 elementary school in Cisarua district, Bogor.

Having discovered that Nita was dead, Marni later tied her victim's hands and legs, put the body into a double-layered plastic bag, bound it with cables and placed it in a cardboard box.

Nita's body, still in her school uniform, was found in a neighboring village on Tuesday.

Bogor Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. M. Taufik declined to comment on the crime.

Marni is charged with theft with violence under article 365 and with causing the death of a person under article 359 of the Criminal Code. She could face a maximum sentence of 15 years in jail if convicted.