Following the gruesome death of a Malaysian woman in Taipei last weekend, Taiwanese media outlets are reporting that the main suspect in her murder was found dead in his apartment from an apparent suicide.
The suspect, a 45-year-old man identified only as Lin, was found inside a Keelung apartment unit, where police believe that he decided to take his own life by burning charcoal to fill the small space with toxic fumes.
On Saturday, the body of a 26-year-old Malaysian woman was found dismembered at the foot of a mountainous area in Keelung, her remains stuffed inside two separate boxes. Media outlets have named the woman as Deng Yong En, originally from Kampar, Perak.
A cousin, who was also a co-worker, reported her missing on Jan. 6 after the victim failed to turn up to work. Police began to investigate the case, beginning at her apartment building in the Wanhua District of Taipei, where they interviewed her neighbors and flatmates.
One of the flatmates that police spoke to was Lin, who had a criminal record for robbery and theft, and whose housing unit officers noted had a strong smell of disinfectant emanating from inside. However, when police returned for more questioning, the suspect had already disappeared. Investigators believe Lin killed the woman at his flat, and dismembered her in his room before moving the body.
Over the next few days, police were able to piece together CCTV footage and GPS data from Lin’s phone to trace his movements, eventually leading them to the discovery of the Malaysian victim’s body, and later, to Lin’s.
No clear motive has been put forth, with some media outlets reporting that Deng rejected Lin’s advances, leaving him scorned and angery, while other sources are saying that at the time, RM1,360 (US$320) was missing from the woman’s account.
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