Missing boy Eric Chang’s caregiver, husband further remanded till March 31

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Eric Chang Wei Jie

KUCHING (March 24): The remand order for suspected murder victim Eric Chang Wei Jie’s 36-year-old caregiver and her 51-year-old husband has been extended to March 31.

They were first remanded under Section 302 of the Penal Code for murder on March 17.

“Both suspects are still under lock-up at the Tabuan Jaya police station for the investigation,” said Kuching police chief ACP Ahsmon Bajah.

The couple were arrested by police on March 9 and had been earlier investigated under Section 31(1) of the Child Act 2001 for ill-treatment, neglect, abandonment, or exposure of children.

The case took a turn after the caregiver told police on March 13 that the four-year-old’s body had been dumped into the Sarawak River at Kampung Muara Tebas.

A search operation was then held from March 13-19 at Muara Tebas by the police together with the Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba) and Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA).

Police also reclassified the case as murder on March 13.

After an extensive seven-day search, no clues were found of Eric in Muara Tebas, which led the operation to be called off until further notice.