A couple, identified by their initials 26-year-old DAF and 27-year-old LAS, have been named as suspects in the gruesome murder of RHW, whose mutilated remains were found in a Kalibata City apartment unit, South Jakarta on Wednesday.
Related: Mutilated remains found in Kalibata City apartment identified as missing man
Jakarta Metro Police Chief Nana Sudjana said yesterday that LAS met the victim through dating app Tinder before they moved their conversation to WhatsApp. RHW’s last chat with LAS through WhatsApp was on Sept. 5 when they agreed to meet in an apartment in Pasar Baru, Central Jakarta.
RHW and LAS rented the space from Sept. 7 until Sept. 12, but only arrived there on Sept. 9, when the gruesome murder took place.
DAF, who executed the murder, had got into the apartment earlier without RHW’s knowledge. He was hiding inside a bathroom when LAS and RHW arrived. The two talked for a bit and proceeded to have sex, during which DAF revealed himself and killed RHW.
Both suspects had already prepared a brick and a knife, which were used to kill the victim.
“[DAF] hit the victim with a brick three times, then he stabbed him seven times until he died,” Nana said, adding that they initially had no idea what to do with RHW’s body after his death.
DAF and LAS then left the apartment to buy a machete and a saw to cut RHW’s body into 11 pieces before wrapping them in plastic bags. The body parts were put into two suitcases and one backpack, which the suspects then carried to a Kalibata City apartment on a ride-sharing car.
Nana said the suspects intended to steal the victim’s money as they believed him to be financially well off as he worked as a human resource development manager at a Japanese construction company.
Soon after the murder, DAF and LAS drained the victim’s bank account, taking all IDR97 million (US$6,584) from it. The money was used to buy gold, precious metals, a motorcycle, and to rent a house in Depok, West Java where they planned to bury RHW’s remains.
Police apprehended DAF and LAS at the rented house in Depok, where the former resisted arrest and ended up getting shot on both legs. The suspects have been charged with premeditated murder and theft, with the former punishable by the death penalty. They are currently detained at the Jakarta Metro Police HQ.
RHW, who was 32 years old at the time of his death, hailed from Sleman regency, Yogyakarta. His family said he was missing since last Wednesday, and they eventually filed a missing persons report at the Jakarta Metro Police on Saturday. The police had traced RHW’s whereabouts during their investigation, before eventually discovering his mutilated body in Kalibata City.
