Two sisters murdered in East Jakarta

JAKARTA (JP): Pulogadung Police detectives are pursuing a construction worker, who allegedly murdered two aging sisters and wounded the husband of one of the two at their residence in the Jati subdistrict of East Jakarta early Thursday morning.

Pulogadung Police chief Maj. I Gusti Putu K.S. identified the dead victims as retired teacher Osti Napitupulu, 64, and her older sister Riso Napitupulu, 66. The wounded victim, Osti's husband, was identified as car documents broker Marwasas Manurung, 68.

The three victims were found lying near the kitchen at the residence of Marwasas, a former Army officer, on Jl. Alu-Alu No. 10 in Rawamangun district, East Jakarta.

"We suspect the killer to be Eko, one of five construction workers, working on Marwasas's residence. We have taken Suwandi, another construction worker, to help us locate Eko," Gusti told reporters.

A relative of Osti said he had learned from the other four construction workers, identified as Hardi, Wardi, Rugiman and Suwandi, that Eko had been angry with Marwasas for some time.

"Eko told the other workers that Marwasas used a very hard, loud voice, when scolding him, and that he was tired of Marwasas' slander," Ibu Tambunan told The Jakarta Post at the Persahabatan hospital in East Jakarta, where Marwasas is receiving treatment.

The parents of five children, Marwasas has a large house partitioned into small offices, leased out to at least nine companies.

The men were working on small fixtures at the house.

A samurai sword belonging to Marwasas, found near Osti's body, was used to slash the face, and lower right arm of Marwasas. He also suffered injuries to his head.

A blunt object was used to kill both Riso and Osti, according to Bambang, a staffer at the forensic division of the School of Medicine at the University of Indonesia.

"Riso's face was severely beaten and her jawbone was broken. Osti has bruises on her back... her jawbone was also broken. The suspect might also have used his weight to crush her body," Bambang told the Post.

At about 7:30 a.m. on Thursday, Gemita Sitorus, an employee of PT Mangun Wijaya, which has an office at Marwasas' home, arrived at the residence as she does each morning.

Gusti said Gemita knocked several times at the door, but nobody opened it.

"Usually, Marwasas opened the door. Worried, Gemita called the residence of Marwasas's son in Bekasi and found out that Marwasas was not staying there. She called the residence of another son in Pondok Kelapa. Marwasas wasn't there either," Gusti said.

After a while, Suwandi came in to work and Gemita immediately asked him to jump over the fence of the house to look for Marwasas.

"Suwandi found the body of Riso first, near the refrigerator. He immediately jumped outside again and told Gemita what he saw. She called the police," Gusti said.

Quoting an employee of Marwasas, also identified as Eko, Gusti said the murder suspect had returned to the house, to make sure that the victims were dead. He met the employee Eko, who was trying to carry the victims, to take them to the hospital.

"In fact, the suspect helped the employee Eko, to bring the victims to the hospital... the suspect thought that since the victims were dead, they couldn't identify him," Gusti said.

"He had not expected Marwasas to have enough strength to write his name on a piece of paper. When hospital staff asked him which Eko he was talking about, Marwasas said, the construction worker."

Knowing that, the suspect immediately fled. Police believe he is somewhere in Sukabumi. (ylt/06)