SANDAKAN: Ten people have been detained following the murder of a 62-year-old woman whose decomposing body was found inside her house here.
Sandakan OCPD Asst Comm George Abd Rahman said police were alerted at about 8.10pm on Aug 19 after a foul smell was reported coming from a two-storey wooden house in Tanah Merah, Jalan Leila.
"Police arrived at about 8.45pm and found the body of a woman in the toilet.
"Her hands were tied behind her back and her head was covered with a cloth," he said in a statement in Monday (Aug 24).
He said the victim is believed to have died several days earlier.
ACP George said the victim was identified through documents found in the house and lived alone.
He said swift action led to arrests within 24 hours, comprising five males and five females aged from 10 to 39.
Three are Philippine nationals while seven are Malaysians and all 10 are related.
ACP George said two were identified as main suspects.
"Investigations found a dispute over payment for renovation work at the victim's house, as well as unhappiness over an increase in rent of the house occupied by the two suspects," he said adding the case is being investigated under Section 302 of the Penal Code for murder.
