The Star Malaysia

Murder in the family

Estranged wife held for questionin­g over bizarre triple death case

- By JASTIN AHMAD TARMIZI and NATASHA JOIBI newsdesk@thestar.com.my KUALA LUMPUR:

In what may be a bizarre murder case, a man and two children, aged thre seven months were found dead in their apartment. The man was sprawled in the bedroom while the bodies of the girl and her younger were stuffed into plastic containers. Their mother has been held for questionin­g.

A three-year-old child and her seven-month-old brother were found dead and stuffed into plastic containers. Their father was also found dead at their apartment in Taman Sri Sinar, Segambut.

The mother of the two children, who is estranged from her husband, has been arrested in what looks like a bizarre and cruel murder case.

Cheah Kai Sze and her younger brother Cheah Kai Wen were found stuffed into separate plastic containers, which were then wrapped in large plastic bags in a room at the Nova 2 apartment.

Their father Cheah Hing Soon, 34, was found sprawled in the master bedroom.

City police chief Comm Datuk Amar Singh said police had found lapses in the 35-year-old woman’s story.

“Based on the condition of the bodies, we believe they have been dead for more than 48 hours,” Comm Amar said, adding that there were no signs of a break-in although the home was found to be messy.

Sentul OCPD Asst Comm R. Munusamy, who was at the scene, said police also did not find any visible injuries on the victims.

He said police received a report from the wife at about 12.15pm yesterday.

“When police arrived, there was a strong odour of joss sticks,” ACP Munusamy said.

“Perhaps it was from a Taoist priest whom she had called to perform some prayers before we arrived,” he said, adding that it was strange that the woman called her father-in-law and the priest before contacting the police.

According to the woman, she was separated from her husband but went to the unit every day as she lived in a different block of the same apartment building.

“She also claimed she had stayed over at the apartment the night before,” ACP Munusamy said.

He added that the couple had two other sons, aged six and eight, who lived nearby with her father-in-law.

The woman said both she and her husband were unemployed.

A neighbour said the children were not around when he last saw the couple on Saturday afternoon.

He claimed that he had not seen the two children for a while. When he asked their mother about their whereabout­s, she told him that they were staying with their maternal grandmothe­r.

The neighbour said Hing Soon’s father paid the rent for the couple’s apartment unit.

He also claimed that both husband and wife would ask for money from neighbours, ranging from RM20 to RM30.

Apparently, the two older children had gone for an outing with their grandfathe­r a few days ago and had stayed with him since.

Comm Amar said the remains of the three victims were sent to Kuala Lumpur Hospital for a post-mortem.

The case has been classified under Section 302 of the Penal Code for murder.

 ??  ?? Horrific find: Policemen taking away what is believed to be the plastic containers in which the bodies of the two children were found. The children’s mother has been held by police to assist in the investigat­ions.
Horrific find: Policemen taking away what is believed to be the plastic containers in which the bodies of the two children were found. The children’s mother has been held by police to assist in the investigat­ions.
 ??  ?? Gruesome find: Police officers carrying Cheah’s body out of the apartment in Taman Sri Sinar, Segambut.
Gruesome find: Police officers carrying Cheah’s body out of the apartment in Taman Sri Sinar, Segambut.
 ??  ?? Grim task: Members of the forensics team covering their footwear before entering the apartment unit where the bodies were found.
Grim task: Members of the forensics team covering their footwear before entering the apartment unit where the bodies were found.
 ??  ?? Scene of the crime: Police said there were no signs of a break-in although the home was found to be messy.
Scene of the crime: Police said there were no signs of a break-in although the home was found to be messy.

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