Team formed to trace killer

SEMARANG, Central Java: The Kudus police precinct has formed a special team to trace the killer of a woman whose boneless remains were found in a ditch near Jati Wetan livestock market Saturday.

The head of the precinct, Lt. Col. Halba Rubis Nugroho, told The Jakarta Post yesterday that the team was sparing no efforts to find the suspected murderer of the female, who was in her 50s.

Halba said he was amazed by the suspect's brutal behavior of extracting all the victim's bones, leaving only her flesh and skin.

Local forensic experts from Dr. Kariadi hospital in Semarang have identified a three-centimeter wide and 10-centimeter long stab and wound in the body's right hip which they think caused her death.

One of the experts also said that the victim's skin and flesh must have been peeled off in order to remove the bones.

"The killer must have the skills of a butcher. Judging from the wounds, it seems that the killer is a professional at his job," forensic expert Gatot Suharto said.

He said that most of the internal organs were also removed, including the heart, lungs and liver.

"We could only find her intestines," he said.

Gatot said the forensic doctors only identified the victim's neck, forearm, heel and several finger bones.

"This is the first time we have handled such a case. The killer must be a psychopath," said Gatot. (09/har)