Police nab suspects linked to teenage girl murder
Multa Fidrus, The Jakarta Post, Tangerang | Wed, 07/21/2010 6:26 PM
A recent murder of junior high school graduate Dewi Fatimah is finally solved with allegation by family members that the slaying may be connected to one of the 14-year-old’s Facebook friends being proven true.
Tangerang police announced on Wednesday that officers had arrested four teenagers as suspects in the murder of the victim whose body was found in Pondok Aren late last month.
Tangerang police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Edi Sumitro identified the suspects as Abdillah, 18; Wahyu Hidayat, 15; Ari Ferdiansyah, 15 and Januar, 15. The four were picked up at their respective parents’ houses in Pondok Aren, South Tangerang .
“The suspects testified that the victim was murdered at the house of their friend named Tio before the body was thrown into the bush on Jl. Utama, Foreign Affairs Ministry housing complex in Pondok Aren,” he said.
Edi said based on their testimonies, the suspects got acquainted with the victim through the social network Facebook which was followed with an exchange of cellular phone numbers before arranging a meeting.
“The suspects disclosed they were interested in Nexian Berry, a cellular phone belonging to the victim so that in attempt to confiscate it they poisoned her with potassium and strangled her neck to death.
“The suspects will be charged with Article 340 on premeditated murder and Article 365 on robbery of the Criminal Code,” he said.
Dewi left her home in Cempaka Putih, East Ciputat, on June 26 and never returned home. Her parents, Ida Parida, 34, and Ahmad Syah, 50, reported the girl missing to the police on the following day.
Police informed the family on June 28 that a body matching Dewi’s physical characteristics had been discovered in Pondok Aren. The body was later confirmed to be Dewi’s and was buried at a public cemetery in Pondok Aren.
Soon after the body was found, Sukar, the victim’s grandfather said the family believed that Dewi was killed by her Facebook friends based on statements from several of the girl’s friends about her activity on Facebook.
