JOHOR BARU, March 5 — Police believe that they have solved the case of a missing 38-year-old woman, revealing that she was murdered by gunshot, stuffed in a chemical barrel and later dumped in an empty field near Kota Tinggi allegedly by her husband and a male accomplice.
It was learnt that the victim was killed in the early hours on Monday. Police said the suspect shot her in the abdomen with an air rifle while she was asleep in their family home in Taman Saujana in Kota Tinggi.
Johor police chief Datuk Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay said following a missing person’s report that was lodged by a neighbour on Monday, investigators arrested the victim’s 43-year-old husband and his 32-year-old male friend in Kota Tinggi on Wednesday.
Describing the murder as sadistic, he said the husband later confessed to shooting his wife before covering the body with a bed sheet and placing it inside a blue plastic barrel before dumping it in a nearby open field in Bandar Penawar.
“Initial investigations revealed that the husband was believed to have shot his wife of eight years at close range in their bedroom at about 2am to 3am on that fateful day after a misunderstanding,” said Ayob Khan during a media conference held at the Johor police contingent headquarters here today.
Present was Johor Criminal Investigations Department (CID) chief Datuk Md Yusof Ahmad and senior officers.
Ayob Khan said further investigations also revealed that the husband, who is an excavator operator, has two previous criminal records for voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons and also illegal possession of firearms.
“Police seized an air rifle, a shotgun, 54 buckshots, a Mitsubishi Pajero 4X4, and an excavator, belonging to the husband who did not possess a permit for them.
“The husband then led the police to where he had buried the victim at around 10.30am on Thursday.
“Police believe that the motive behind the murder was jealousy while the husband and wife were already in the midst of a divorce,” said Ayob Khan, adding that the couple have two young children and are currently under the care of the late wife’s family.
Checks by Malay Mail revealed that the suspect was believed to have a strained relationship with his wife since early this year.
The suspect was also believed to have planned the murder and had prepared the location to bury his wife’s remains due to his job as an excavator operator.
Ayob Khan said the two suspects have been remanded until March 10 to help with the investigations under Section 302 of the Penal Code for murder.
He added that police were also investigating the case under Section 36 of the Firearms Act 1960.
