Police in Bali have arrested a 24-year-old man in connection with the gruesome death of a woman in Denpasar, who was found dead in her kost (boarding house) room last month.
On Jan. 16, a 23-year-old woman identified as DFL was found lying dead and naked in her room, with a knife wound on her neck. A CCTV recording widely circulated soon after, showing a man walking up the stairs of the house while wearing a green helmet associated with app-based motorcycle taxi drivers (locally known as ojek online or ojol for short).
Almost a month into the murder investigation, police finally arrested the suspect, identified as WDS, last Friday in Jember, East Java.
“The murder was already planned by the suspect. In this regard, the suspect also prepared a kerambit knife to take away the victim’s possession,” Djuhandhani R Puro, who heads the general crimes unit at the Bali Police said yesterday.
Kerambit is a small curved knife resembling a claw from West Sumatra.
Police say WDS and DFL met online, and the former learned about her valuable belongings as they chatted, leading to his intention to rob the victim. The two then agreed to meet for sex, and afterwards WDS took the victim’s wallet and mobile phone.
However, DFL caught him stealing and screamed for help, and WDS reacted by covering her mouth from behind, before taking his knife and stabbing her.
WDS previously served nine months in prison for stealing in Jember, and had been working at a hardware store while staying in Bali. He reportedly signed up to be an ojol for some time, which explains why he wore the green helmet in the CCTV footage, though the case itself has nothing to do with the service.
WDS has been charged with violent robbery that leads to death under the criminal code (KUHP) and faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison.
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