Suspect used fire as cover-up in double murder: Police

Dicky Christanto , The Jakarta Post , Denpasar | Wed, 09/03/2008 10:49 AM | Bali

Anak Agung Gede, the lone suspect in the killings of a couple in West Denpasar, set the victims' bodies ablaze in an effort to make the homicide appear to have been an accident, police said Tuesday.

"He confessed he initially intended to cover the murder by burning the entire room where the crime took place," Denpasar City Police chief Sr. Comr. Alit Widana said.

"The suspect believed the fire would, at least, prevent investigating officers from finding any useful clues or traces at the crime scene."

Apparently, the suspect made a flawed assumption. The fire didn't purge all traces of evidence as police forensic team managed to extract several fingerprints from the scene.

This led to Agung's arrest Monday just hours after police had been notified of the murder.

The bodies of Yudianto Suwono and his wife Yeni Suryawati were found in their home on Sunday evening by friends, who contacted police immediately.

The bodies were naked with multiple stab wounds and burns.

"The murder took place at around 5 p.m., but police weren't informed until midnight. I visited the scene at around 12:30 a.m. Monday to supervise my men," Widana said.

The suspect turned out to be one of the victims' employees who had been working for the victims for two years.

Reportedly, the suspect was also present at the scene when officers removed the bodies. In fact, he sobbed with tears when he saw the bodies.

Widana said the murders were triggered by Agung's personal rage.

"Previously, he had asked for a loan of Rp 100,000 (US$10.86) from Yeni and she gave it to him," Widana said.

"Then, a few days later, he came again and asked for another Rp 100,000 loan. Yeni gave him the money, but this time she also scolded him."

Enraged, Agung attacked Yeni, choking her by the neck, striking her body with an iron pipe and stabbing her with the pipe. Yeni's husband, who had just arrived, soon became another victim.

Widana said police would soon reconstruct the crime to gain a more detailed picture.

Agung is being detained at Denpasar City Police detention center. He would face a murder charge carrying a maximum 15-year prison term.

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