Two sisters murdered in East Jakarta

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)