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| VITAL EVIDENCE: Amiruddin with the gold bracelet recovered by the police from the half charred body |
A PORTRAIT of a pretty teenager found horribly burnt beyond recognition on Monday in Kampung Lembah Jaya Utara in Ampang took shape while her identity remained a mystery.
Ampang Jaya police chief ACP Amiruddin Jamaluddin said the girl, aged 17 to 18, was local, 162-cm tall, fair-skinned and had straight shoulder length hair.
She was wearing a green and black-striped baju kurung when her body was found in some bushes near some houses.
The body was almost naked as the baju kurung on the upper part of the body was burnt off. Pieces of her attire were found in the bushes by the roadside.
Her gold bracelet — with six heart nuggets — on her left hand and a pair of small gold earrings were intact.
There was no trace of a handbag or personal documents, said Amiruddin.
There was no trace of a handbag or personal documents, said Amiruddin.
Amiruddin said her body was so severely burnt that she lacked scarring, which would be caused by the mandatory BCG vaccination against tuberculosis.
He said the girl’s fingerprints were not available because her hands were badly burnt.
“She suffered 80 per cent burns on her hands and torso and the back of her body was the only unburned region,” he said.
Police said there were traces of thinner where her body was found — an indication she might have been set ablaze there.
The autopsy showed there were no bodily injuries, suggesting a possibility she could have been burnt unconscious.
Amiruddin said the autopsy also revealed the girl was not sexually assaulted.
Further, it is believed there was no sign she was bound and gagged, raising the likelihood that she could have been subdued by some chemical.
Amiruddin said a murder investigation has been launched. He described the act as brazen as it was done close to some houses.
Police have appealed to anyone who might have seen a fire to assist investigations and are carrying out house-to-house inquiries.
It was initially thought she was killed and burned elsewhere before her body was dumped in the housing estate in the vicinity of Bukit Belacan.
The body was discovered by a resident who had spotted the charred remains and contacted police. Two police officers who happened to be patrolling the neighbourhood were informed.
So far, only one resident said he heard a noise like someone was walking past his house, but did not see anyone when he looked out.
The resident, Siti Fatimah Harun, also heard motorcycles passing by the area about 3.30am on Monday which she said was unusual as the neighbourhood was always quiet in the wee hours.
Forensic officers re-examined the scene yesterday to get more clues into the murder.
Four missing persons reports had been lodged in the Ampang district in the 24 hours prior to the discovery of the body.
One person had gone to the hospital to identify the victim but the identification proved negative.
Police have made a nationwide appeal for those who made missing persons’ reports to come forward since the victim might be from out of town
