Georgetown Jane Doe was a young woman whose torso and hands were discovered inside of a suitcase in a parking lot by the Penang Botanical Gardens in Georgetown, Penang, Malaysia, within 3 days of another woman's headless body being discovered in Pulau Kendi. Her mutilated legs would be discovered the following day at a dumpsite in Nibong Tebal. Due to her fingerprints and DNA not matching any records in Malaysia's national database, she is suspected to have been a foreigner.
The decedent's death is suspected to be tied to at least 18 other deaths committed by a possible serial killer in Malaysia who targets individuals from Myanmar, though police also believe the decedent's death may not be linked at all.
Case[]
On the morning of the 6th of November, 2014, a cleaner sweeping a parking lot near the Penang Botanical Gardens noticed a suitcase laying beneath a tree that was emitting a foul odor. The cleaner's colleague proceeded to poke the suitcase with a stick to investigate and soon spotted hair and a human hand inside it. After being dispatched, the police investigated the suitcase and discovered a torso and two hands inside it. Due to a lack of blood at the scene, it was immediately suspected that the decedent had been killed elsewhere and dumped in the location. Her discovery had occurred only 3 days after another woman, later identified as an Indonesian national named Halimahtusakdiah, was discovered dismembered in the sea near Pulau Kendi.
The following day, a pair of mutilated legs were discovered at a dumpsite in Nibong Tebal after police received a tip. DNA quickly identified the legs as belonging to the unidentified woman who was discovered near the botanical gardens and an autopsy soon followed. According to the medical examiners, the woman had been strangled to death and was deceased for at least 24 to 36 hours. The dismemberment of her body was stated to have occurred after her death. Additionally, authorities suspected that she was from a foreign country due to her DNA and fingerprints not being registered in Malaysia's national database.
Link to a possible serial killer[]
Following the decedent's autopsy, Assistant Professor Dr. P. Sundramoorthy, a criminologist from the Universiti Sains Malaysia, noted that the possibility of a serial killer in Malaysia could not be ruled out due to the number of murders of foreign nationals committed. Prior to the discovery of Halimahtusakdiah, a man from Myanmar was discovered with his throat slit in October. Several similar murders targeting Myanmar nationals were discovered before his death, with many being discovered wrapped in sheets and dumped along roads or industrial areas, though the final murder would occur days after the discovery of the unidentified woman. On November 11th, Hein Lat Kyaw, a Myanmar national, was discovered with his throat slit in Jarak Atas with several additional stab wounds and unspecified injuries.
Despite Lat Kyaw's death being similar to the previous murders, authorities claimed that it was another isolated murder and that none of the murders were connected nor were they connected to the conflict between Buddhists and Muslims in Myanmar at the time. Police were accused of not handling the cases properly, though Senior Assistant Commissioner Mazlan Kesah has been quoted as swiftly denying the accusation. Though, authorities increased their presence around roads and industrial areas following Lat Kyaw's murder due to civil anxiety and the murders linked to the potential serial killer quickly ceased. It is suspected that police presence had scared the potential serial killer into ceasing their operations, though authorities believe that there were multiple killers due to a sheath being found at Lat Kyaw's dumpsite. No further cases have been linked to this possible killer(s) since December 2014.
Characteristics[]
- Described as being fair-skinned.
- Obese build.
Sources[]
- Says:
- Article #1 (11/7/2014)
- Article #2 (11/29/2014)
- The Straits Times:
- Article #1 (11/7/2014)
- Article #2 (11/8/2014)
- Article #3 (11/10/2014)
- Article #4 (11/11/2014)