A 55-year-old man was found dead inside a parked car along Jalan Lintang Merdeka here on Thursday, with police believing he had been deceased for more than four days before the discovery.
The grim find was made after a member of the public alerted authorities about an unconscious man inside a vehicle at about 9.50am. Police officers were subsequently dispatched to the scene to conduct investigations.
Northeast District Police Chief Assistant Commissioner Abdul Rozak Muhammad said initial enquiries revealed that a cleaning worker had noticed the suspicious vehicle parked in the area at about 9.30am before contacting the police.
Upon inspection, officers found the victim, a local man from Bukit Mertajam, seated in the driver’s seat of the car. He was fully clothed at the time, while the vehicle was found unlocked.
Further examinations carried out at the scene and on the victim’s body did not uncover any signs of foul play or criminal elements. Investigators also established that the deceased had a history of chronic illnesses and had previously been receiving treatment at a hospital.
Based on the condition of the body, police estimated that the man had died more than four days before he was discovered. The case has drawn attention to the importance of reporting suspicious vehicles or unusual circumstances promptly to the authorities.
The body has been sent to the Forensic Department of Penang Hospital for a post-mortem examination to determine the exact cause of death. The case is currently classified as a sudden death pending the outcome of the post-mortem report.
