New developments in the case of the dead Dutch-Belgian teen model occurred over the weekend, most surprisingly, the sudden departure of the deceased’s vocal parents from Malaysia, after demanding that the case be re-investigated. They left Ivana Smit’s body behind.
The tragic story made international headlines last week after news broke that she had fallen to her death from the 20th floor of a Kuala Lumpur condominium. The 19-year-old Smit was found on a sixth-floor landing, completely naked. Media outlets detailed last week that her shoes and underwear had yet to be recovered from the scene.
Police quickly classified the incident as “sudden death,” (a catch-all term that often implies suicide in Malaysian jurisprudence) amid cries from the girl’s family and friends, netizens and the media, who wondered what circumstances could have resulted in the teen’s plummeting 14 stories. Ivana’s death followed a night of revelry with the owners of the condo, American Alexander Amado Johnson, and his Kazakh wife, Luna.
After the girl’s family, and the Dutch Embassy, pressured authorities to re-open the case, police agreed to review their findings after pathology tests.
Although the family alleged potential foul play, authorities say they have yet to find evidence pointing to that conclusion. Dang Wangi police chief ACP Shaharuddin Abdullah told reporters that until proven otherwise, the death remains classified as “sudden death.”
Today, the Sun reported that preliminary findings indicate that the victim tested positive for at least three drugs. The final results should be made public later this week.
Various international outlets have dubbed the events leading up to her death as a “swinger’s party” hosted by the expat couple. Both tested positive for drugs and were taken to court and charged with drug violations under the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952.
The couple claimed that they had met the model only two times, the second time being the night before she died at their apartment. They allege that they allowed the model to stay with them, as she was highly intoxicated, and were unaware of her fall until the next day.
Malaysian investigators believe that the model awoke, still intoxicated, and wandered to the balcony, where she then fell.
Ivana’s father has been skeptical, asking what level of disorientation could cause a 181cm-tall girl to climb over a 121cm barricade on the balcony. He also claimed that the teen had fingerprint-shaped bruises on her neck when he went to identify the body.
The reasons for the victim’s family’s sudden departure are unclear, with Free Malaysia Today reporting that Ivana’s parents and brother left for the Netherlands at 7:55pm on Friday. While they gave no reason for their hasty exit, a source close to the family says they will soon release a statement explaining why.
Meanwhile, Johnson, and his wife Luna, remain in police custody, reportedly due to passport discrepancies.
We’ll keep you posted as news becomes available.
