An elderly woman, 62, is believed to have been murdered before her decomposing body was discovered inside a bathroom at a two-storey wooden house in Tanah Merah, Jalan Leila here last Tuesday.
The gruesome discovery was made after members of the public noticed a foul smell coming from the house, leading police to the victim’s body, which was already in an advanced state of decomposition.
The woman’s hands were found tied behind her back, while her head had been covered with a cloth. She is believed to have died several days before her body was discovered.
Police subsequently arrested 10 individuals, including two main suspects, within less than 24 hours to assist investigations into the suspected murder.
Sandakan district police chief Assistant Commissioner George Abd Rakman said police received information from the public at about 8.10pm regarding a foul smell coming from the house.
“Police went to the location following the information and found the victim’s body inside the house.
“The body was already decomposing and she is believed to have died several days earlier,” he said in a statement.
George said preliminary investigations found that the victim had been living alone at the house.
The 10 suspects comprised five men and five women aged between 10 and 39. Three were Filipino nationals while the remaining seven were Malaysian citizens, with all of them believed to be related.
Police believe the incident stemmed from a dispute involving payment for renovation work carried out at the victim’s house.
“The suspects were also allegedly unhappy after the victim increased the monthly rental rate for the house they were occupying.
“Police also seized a wooden stick believed to have been used in the incident, along with several personal belongings belonging to the victim that were allegedly taken by the suspects,” George said.
The case is being investigated under Section 302 of the Penal Code for murder.
