Married 15-year-old main suspect in Beringgis murder – Police

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KOTA KINABALU: Police have arrested three local youths, aged between 15 and 20, in their investigation into the murder of a 60-year-old retired car salesman, whose body was found at the beach in Kampung Beringgis, Kinarut a week ago.

Following the arrests, the police declared the murder case solved.

Acting Deputy Police Commissioner of Sabah, SAC Datuk Salehhudin bin Abd Rahman said the main suspect is the 15-year-old, whom the police believed to have known the victim, and is surprisingly married.

Salehhudin, who is also Sabah Criminal Investigation Department (CID) chief, said the main suspect had stopped going to school and is unemployed.

The police received a call about the discovery of a body at the beach in Kampung Beringgis, Kinarut around 4.30pm on April 7.

When a team of CID from Papar District Police Headquarters (IPD) arrived at the scene, they found the body of a man covered in blood.

The victim was identified as Richard Ho, a retired UMW car salesman. The victim had never been married and lived in Kota Kinabalu.

“The body was sent to Queen Elizabeth Hospital for a post-mortem.

“The cause of death was excessive bleeding from the stab wound on the left side of the victim’s neck,” Salehhudin said in a press conference here yesterday.

He said the post-mortem also found six stab wounds on the victim’s front torso and another on his arm.

The next day at 10.50am, the police found the victim’s Toyota Hilux parked by the roadside in front of a health clinic in Kinarut, 9.1 kilometres away from where the victim’s body was found.

“Inspection on the car uncovered blood stains on the driver’s seat and back seats.

“Investigation from all angles was carried out, including the usage of forensics.”

On the evening of April 9, the police picked up two suspects, 17 and 20 years old, at Tanjung Aru to facilitate in the investigation.

The main suspect, a Sino Kadazan, was arrested in Kinraut around 10pm on April 10.

“The arrests lead to the seizure of a car key and alarm which belonged to the victim’s Hilux, as well as a folding knife believed to have been used in stabbing the victim,” he said.

Salehhudin said the motive of the murder was robbery, adding that the victim was robbed of RM400 in cash.

He said the police believed the victim was killed and disposed of at the beach. The suspect then fled the scene in the victim’s Hilux and left the vehicle at the health clinic in Kinarut.

Two of the three suspects also tested positive for drugs, including the 15-year-old teenager.

“The case is investigated under Section 302 of the Penal Code which carries the death sentence if convicted.”