Worker admits to killing lover on the first date

JAKARTA (JP): Makassar police detectives in East Jakarta are questioning a married construction worker, who has reportedly admitted to killing his lover on June 25.

The victim's decomposing body was found six days after the killing.

Police have identified the worker as Subur, a trans-migrant from Purbalingga, Central Java. He surrendered to East Jakarta police on Sunday, after hiding for six days in his home village.

"We need more evidence and witnesses, to cross-check the statements made by the suspect," City Police spokesman Lt. Col. Bambang Permantoro told reporters yesterday.

Quoting Maj. Edi Sutrisno, head of the Makassar police sub- precinct, Bambang said that the 22-year-old suspect gave himself up to the authorities because he was overcome with guilt.

Based on preliminary police questioning, Subur, married with two children, allegedly admitted that he had killed Kasilah, 18, a domestic helper, by strangling her with the electric cable of an iron in his employer's empty house at the Dukuh subdistrict of Kramat Jati, in the early hours of June 25.

Subur admitted that he killed Kasilah after their first date, when she demanded that he marry her.

"When the suspect promised to marry her in August, Kasilah was upset and they quarreled," Bambang Permantoro said.

According to Subur, the quarrel turned into a physical clash when the girl hit him with the iron cord, making him angry. He said he snatched the cord away from Kasilah and strangled her with it.

Subur then dumped her body in a small, dimly-light storeroom next to the house.

Panicked, he packed up and left for his home village in Purbalingga but later decided to surrender to the police of his own free will, Bambang said.

Kasilah's body was found on Saturday morning when a local man, identified as Karimun, noticed a bad odor coming from the adjacent house.

Kasilah's naked body was taken to the Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital for an autopsy. It was identified following Subur's account.

Under the Indonesian criminal code, Subur faces a maximum of 15 years imprisonment if he is found guilty.

During questioning, Subur allegedly admitted that he invited Kasilah, the servant of a government official in Pondok Labu, Cilandak, South Jakarta, to spend the evening of Saturday June 24 at his employer's empty house. (bsr)