Woman found dead in hotel

JAKARTA (JP): A unidentified woman was found dead with 42 stab wounds in a room at the Wisma Bungur Hotel on Jl. Kalibaru VI in Senen, Central Jakarta, early on Saturday morning.

The body was taken to the Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital morgue. Police described the victim as having an oval face, straight short hair, tanned skin and said she was about 160 centimeters in height.

Senen Police chief Comr. Pratikno said at his office that his detectives were trying to locate a suspect in the case, identified as M. Sidik, 35, of Kuningan, West Jakarta. The suspect paid for the room where the woman's body was found.

A hotel employee said M. Sidik checked out of the hotel at about 4:30 a.m. on Saturday.

Pratikno said eight witnesses, including hotel security guards, had been questioned. Quoting the witnesses, the officer said the woman checked into the hotel with M. Sidik late on Friday night.

A hotel security guard, Sunardi, told the police that the people in the adjoining room called the receptionist to ask for somebody to be sent up to room 201. The caller said he heard a woman in the room screaming, Sunardi said, adding that he and another security guard, Dayat, rushed up to the room.

"The door was locked so we decided to break it down," he said. "We were shocked when we saw the body of a naked woman covered with stab wounds to her neck, chest and stomach lying on the floor."

Police officers did not find the murder weapon in the room, Pratikno said. (01)