Jealousy sparked dismemberment tragedy as elderly suspect arrested

A SWIFT inter-agency operation has led to the arrest of a local septuagenarian in connection with the horrific murder of a woman in her 40s, whose body was found severed into seven parts.

The suspect was intercepted in the state capital at approximately 5 pm, less than twenty-four hours after a refuse collector stumbled upon the first of the remains.

Detectives from the Kota Kinabalu District Police Criminal Investigation Division, supported by technical units from Bukit Aman and local patrol teams, tracked the suspect after crucial forensic leads emerged during the recovery of the victim's head and torso.

Preliminary findings suggests the violence was fuelled by intense jealousy, which escalated into a lethal physical confrontation between the pair.

Acting Kota Kinabalu District Police Chief, Superintendent Syed Lot Syed Ab Rahman, confirmed the breakthrough in the investigation.

He stated that a local male suspect in his 70s has been tracked down and detained, noting that the motive is believed to be jealousy.

He added that with the arrest of this primary suspect, the case is considered resolved.

Despite the arrest, the Superintendent clarified that the investigation remains active and is being treated as murder under Section 302 of the Penal Code.

The suspect has been moved to a medical facility for a health assessment prior to the formal remand process.

The grim sequence of events began at 6.30 am when a sanitary worker discovered human limbs near a car park adjacent to a local supermarket.

This sparked a wider search involving police and waste management personnel. By 11.40 am, the search yielded the victim’s head and torso at a secondary waste disposal site near the Bataras Indah Permai supermarket.

While the primary suspect is in custody, authorities noted that two body parts remained missing as of midday, prompting continued search efforts in the Indah Permai vicinity. - February 13, 2026