ALOR GAJAH: The main suspect in the gruesome murder of Johor teacher Istiqomah Ahmad Rozi has been charged at the Magistrate's Court here with murder.
No plea was recorded when the accused, Mohd Fadzly Ariffadzillah, 36, was produced before magistrate Dr Teo Shu Yee on Mon (Aug 19).
Based on the facts on the charge sheet, the accused who is an ex-teacher had allegedly murdered Istiqomah, 34, at the roadside along Kampung Tanjung Rimau, Pulau Sebang here between Dec 26 and Dec 31, 2023.
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Deputy Public Prosecutor Nazrin Ali Rahim prosecuted while the accused was unrepresented.
The court denied bail and fixed Oct 22 as the next mention date.
The suspect was brought to the courthouse in a dark blue T-shirt and short pants by police officers from the CID Department.
Istiqomah, a teacher at SK Kota Masai 3, Johor was reported missing after failing to return home from work on Dec 26, 2023.
The victim's car was found in the parking lot of a supermarket in Pasir Gudang, Johor the next day (Dec 27).
ALSO READ: Family of murdered teacher allowed to claim her body on Aug 19
On Dec 31, last year, the decapitated body of a woman was discovered in a rubbish bin on the Alor Gajah-Tampin road, near Kampung Tanjung Rimau in Pulau Sebang, Alor Gajah.
Police later identified the remains as Istiqomah through DNA tests conducted by Bukit Aman on Aug 2.
Based on the new lead, Melaka police launched an in-depth investigation together with their Johor counterparts before arresting a married couple, aged 36 and 37, in Chemor, Perak, on Aug 5.
The male suspect then led to the discovery of more body parts of the victim's remains, about six kilometres from where the victim's body was found.
The suspect's wife was released on police bail after it was found that she had no connection with the case.
The family members of the victims are expected to claim Istiqomah's remains at the Melaka Hospital at 2pm on Mon (Aug 19) to be brought to her hometown in Pasir Mas, Kelantan for burial.
