Suspected murderer of woman arrested

Suspected murderer of woman arrested

JAKARTA (JP): Central Jakarta police detectives arrested
yesterday the main suspect in the murder of a 59-year-old woman
in the Johar Baru subdistrict.

Police also confiscated gold and diamond jewelry worth
approximately Rp 10 million (US$4,520) and several other items,
including handbags and pocket cameras, the suspect allegedly
stolen after committing the crime.

Chief of the Central Jakarta police precinct Lt. Col. Murawi
Effendi told reporters that Edwin Firmansyah, 32, unemployed, was
arrested at about 2 a.m. at his girlfriend's rented room in
Gedung III, Cisarua, Bogor.

Edwin was wanted as the main suspect in connection with the
murder of Sri Hikayati Sakam and the wounding of Mrs. Sakam's 21-
year-old stepdaughter, Ila, at the family's residence in the
Civil Air Services housing complex in Johar Baru on Monday
morning.

The suspect, who has been hiding since then, is believed to
have used a knife to slit the throats of the two victims.

"The neck of Mrs. Sakam, the wife of a pilot, was almost
completely cut, while her daughter was able to survive by
pretending that she was dead while the killer was still in the
house," said Murawi, who was accompanied by the head of crime
investigation division Maj. Charles Marpaung.

Mrs. Sakam died within minutes of the incident. Ila is still
in intensive care at the Cipto Mangunkusumo general hospital.

The two victims were alone with a domestic helper, Julikha,
when the suspect came to the house at about 12 a.m. Mrs. Sakam's
husband and other daughter were in North Sumatra.

"The suspect is a former neighbor of the family. That's why he
was allowed to drop by the victims' house so late in the
evening," said Murawi.

During police questioning, Edwin confessed that he badly
needed money to pay off his debt, Charles said.

Before being arrested, Edwin had already sold three of the
stolen jewelry items to a goldsmith in Paseban, Central Jakarta,
receiving Rp 900,000.

"We have seized all of the stolen goods," Charles added.

Following the separation from his wife, the suspect lived with
a woman in the red-light district of Bogor, where he was
apprehended by a special team set up by Central Jakarta police
detectives. (bsr)