SIBU: Police are now currently tracking down a man to assist in investigating the murder case of a registration assistant officer at the victim’s rented house, at Jalan Tiong Hua, here yesterday. Sibu District Police chief ACP Stanley Jonathan Ringgit, said the man known as Philip Uja, is in his early 40’s and is from Kanowit. According to ACP Stanley at 8pm on August 1, the night before the death of the victim, the neighbour who is staying on the victim’s top floor heard there was a woman’s voice shouting, but they did not go to check.
“Meanwhile, some of those living on the ground floor were still at work elsewhere,” he told reporters at the Central Police Station, yesterday afternoon. “On the night the deceased was last seen, the neighbour saw the man around the area of the victim’s rented house,” he added. He said the police believed that the deceased had been acquainted with the man as they were originally from Kanowit.
“We are now waiting for pathology specialist from Kuching to conduct a post-mortem, and only then we can know the real cause of the death,” he said. He said, so far the actual motive of the incident cannot be confirmed yet, but if the suspect can be found, the motive of the incident will be known. “Based on the appearance of the deceased’s body, it appears that there are no obvious signs of injury. But possibly the post-mortem report will reveal it.
Only the hands and legs of the deceased are tied to back with her face being covered with her own scarf (tudung),” he said. “So far no valuable items were missing when the victim was found face down, and the rented house did not have signs of being broken into,” he added. ACP Stanley hopes that whoever has any information regarding the suspect, including through friends or social contact, to help the police in their investigation.
In the incident, the victim known as Nurnia Azalea Priscilla Edward, 26 years old, was from Kanowit. She was found by her colleague lying on floor next to the bed with both hands and feet tied at around 3pm yesterday. ACP Stanley also said the victim was staying alone in the rented house while her husband works as a clerk in one of the schools in Tatau.
“Last night, the husband was trying to call her, but failed. He later called the wife’s collegue,” the police chief said. “Therefore, the colleague went straight to the rented house and found her body,” he added. The case is investigated under the Section 302 of the Penal Code for murder.
