TASEK GELUGOR: Police have confirmed that a woman, whose body was found in a rented house in Jalan Pokok Machang here yesterday morning, was murdered by her husband, who later hanged himself.
A post-mortem report found that the 27-year-old woman died of suffocation. It also said her husband may have tried to use a soft object like a pillow or towel to suffocate her.
Seberang Perai Utara district police chief Assistant Commissioner Noorzainy Mohd Noor said police did not find any weapons except a pillow and small towel, which was stuffed in the victim's mouth.
"We interviewed the landlady and she said the couple have fought before, but that it was not serious.
"The man's younger brother, who stayed at the same house, said the same thing. He said he last saw his sister-in-law last Saturday and his brother on Sunday night," Noorzainy said in a statement today.
He said the couple who used to reside in Bidor, Perak before shifting to Penang. The man, he said, worked as a lorry driver, while his wife worked at a factory.
The couple and the man's 21-year-old brother rented the house since last month.
Noorzainy said the woman had been dead for between 24 and 36 hours before her body was discovered.
"We're still investigating the cause and motive for the murder. We urged anyone with information to come forward and facilitate investigations," he said.
Yesterday, it was reported that the couple was found dead in their rented home. The 31-year-old man was found hanging by the neck with a saree cloth, while his 27-year-old wife was found lying on the bed with her mouth covered in blood.
Their remains were discovered at 9.20am by the landlady M. Nermala Devy, 30, who tried to wake the couple up before alerting the police.
The case was previously classified as sudden death.