A man in the city of Malang in East Java allegedly murdered the boyfriend of his stepdaughter out of jealousy because he harbored romantic feelings for her, according to local authorities.
The suspect, identified as a 38-year-old with the initials ZI, has been named a suspect for murdering 25-year-old BPL, a student in the faculty of medicine at a renowned public university in Malang, who dated the former’s stepdaughter, TS.
Police said that, based on their investigation, ZI committed the murder because he liked his own stepdaughter — even reportedly wanting to marry her — and that he wanted to take BPL’s car and money.
Ronald Purba, the deputy chief of East Java Police’s General Crime Investigation Unit, said that ZI often asked for money from the victim over the course of his relationship with TJ.
Police say ZI contacted BPS on Apr. 7 to meet up, saying that he wanted to give souvenirs to the latter’s family. He left his motorcycle at the home of a friend, YP, who was later named a witness to the alleged murder, before getting into the victim’s car in the evening. They went around the city to look for a coffee shop, however many of them were closed at that time as it was already quite late.
ZI, who drove the car, then took them to a housing complex in Singosari district. They had a heated debate as soon as they got there until ZI pulled out a toy gun and threatened BPL. ZI asked for the victim’s handphone and proceeded to read out the intimate chats he had with his stepdaughter, as well as reportedly accusing BPL of having sexually harassed her.
“Shortly after, the suspect killed the victim by pressing on his body [using his knees on the carseat] and smothering his head using a plastic bag until he died,” Ronald said at a press conference yesterday.
After the murder at 10pm, ZI then drove BPS’ car and parked it in front of a ruko (rumah toko or shophouses), leaving the victim’s body somewhere it wouldn’t be visible from outside. He then returned to YP’s house by ojol (motorcycle taxi) at midnight and left BPL’ car key there before going home using his own motorcycle.
The next morning, ZI returned to YP’s place to take the car key and look for a quiet area to dump BPL’s body, eventually choosing some vacant land in the Purwodadi district of Pasuruan regency. He covered BPL’s body with a pile of weeds. Later on, ZI returned to the same housing complex to park the victim’s car.
On the same day, ZI opened BPL’s handphone and managed to steal IDR3.4 million through his m-banking app. ZI also attempted to sell BPL’s car, taking off its license plate using a knife, and destroyed the victim’s phone using a hammer.
Five days later, on Tuesday of last week, local residents found BPL’s body. Police said that TS and her mother had no idea that ZI had taken a liking to her. They said his friend YP had even had to advise him against trying to marry his own stepdaughter.
The police confiscated a number of items used by the suspect as part of the alleged murder, including a motorcycle, three cellphones, a hammer, and a knife, among others. ZI has been charged with premeditated murder and theft with violence resulting in death. Under Indonesia’s criminal code (KUHP), he faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
