T

he police say they will charge the alleged killers of college student Livia Pavita Soelistio with pre-meditated murder, which carries a maximum penalty of death.

West Jakarta Police chief Setija Sunianta said that the four suspects in the case might be executed if convicted of raping and murdering Livia, who was a senior at Bina Nusantara (Binus) University.

“The punishment could be the death sentence based on chapter 340 [of the Criminal Code]. The murder was planned,” he said.

Livia was reported missing on Aug. 16. Several days later, her body was found in Cisauk, Tangerang.

The 20-year-old was last seen leaving home to go attend class at Binus’ campus in Rawa Belong, West Jakarta.

According to an autopsy, Livia died from asphyxiation and could have been raped prior to her death.

A team of investigators from the Tangerang Police and the West Jakarta Police have arrested six suspects in connection with the case: R.H., I.N., S.R., A.B., M.S. and A.

M.S. was the driver who offered Livia a ride to class in his public transportation minivan, according to the police.

“We found rope in Cisauk where the body was found. The rope was previously kept inside the minivan. We suspect the murder was planned,” Setija said.

The suspects allegedly brought the rope in case Livia resisted the robbery, he said.

“They decided to kill her after she fought back. They initially gagged her with a sweater and then strangled her with the rope.”

Setija said the suspects might have only planned to rob Livia and killed her after losing control of the situation.

Investigators have discovered Livia’s smartphone in the possession of one of the suspects.

Separately, Jakarta Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Baharudin Djafar said officers have arrested a middle-aged man identified as T.T. for allegedly kidnapping and sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl from Bogor, West Java.

Baharudin said that the girl met with T.T. for the first time on Aug. 24 at a shopping mall in Bogor.

The suspect strolled through the mall with the girl before allegedly abducting her. “[The girl] sent a text message to her parents saying she went out to have fun,” Baharudin said.

The parents of the girl lost contact with their daughter until Sept. 1, when they received a text message claiming she was held captive in Kampung Ambon, one of West Jakarta’s most infamous red-light district.