Suspect apologizes to victim's family

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Accused murderer Ronald P Johanes Aroean, 23, who has been in police custody since Friday, apologized on Tuesday to the family of his victim, Amanda Deviana, 22.

"I'm deeply sorry ... I apologize to Bapak Sapto, Amanda's mother and sister, the extended family of the School of Electrical Engineering at Trisakti University. I ask my parents, family and the public to forgive me," he told assembled journalists.

Police say that Ronald has confessed to the murder of Amanda, a fellow student at the university. According to the police, Ronald killed the woman, who was four months pregnant with his child, at his house in Depok on Wednesday when she demanded that he marry her.

After killing her, Ronald put Amanda's body in her Nissan Terrano and drove around looking for a secluded spot to dump the body. He abandoned the car on Jl. Soekarno-Hatta in Bandung, near the Leuwi Panjang bus terminal, with the body still in the back, and returned to Jakarta by bus.

Amanda's father, Sapto Hartoyo, contacted the police on Thursday to tell them that his daughter had been missing for two days.

Residents found the abandoned vehicle on Friday and informed the police about the smell coming from inside. Officers found Amanda's body in the hatchback of the vehicle.

Ronald is being detained at the West Jakarta Police station but will soon be transferred to the custody of the Depok Police, where the crime took place.

According to West Jakarta Police chief of detectives Comr. Hendro Pandowo, Ronald told officers that he did not mean to kill Amanda.

"The suspect can be charged with second-degree murder. The law stipulates a maximum sentence of 15 years in jail for the crime," Hendro said.