Six Murder Victims Including Three Children Discovered in Burnt Johor Plantation House

JOHOR BARU: Skeletal remains of six people, including three young children and a teenager, were discovered inside a burnt-down house in an oil palm plantation in Kangkar Pulai, Johor, police confirmed on Tuesday (Feb. 3).

Johor police chief Comm. Datuk Ab Rahaman Arsad said the grim discovery was made on Jan. 9 by a 48-year-old man who had been searching for his family after losing contact with them for nearly three months.

According to police, the man told authorities that his estranged wife and children had been living at the abandoned house following their separation. The house, located about two kilometers from the main road, had no electricity or water supply.

Post-mortem examinations later confirmed that the skeletal remains belonged to two adults, one teenager and three children, all of whom had previously been reported missing. The victims were aged two, five, nine, 17, 29, and 35.

Police checks revealed that the four minors, one boy and three girls, had no formal school records.

Comm. Ab Rahaman said the man lodged a police report at the Iskandar Puteri district police headquarters shortly after discovering the remains.

Following investigations, police arrested four suspects—three men and a woman aged between 19 and 35, in Iskandar Puteri on Jan. 21.

“The suspects are not related to the victims but were acquainted with one of the missing adults, with whom they previously consumed drugs,” he said.

All four suspects have prior criminal records, and three tested positive for methamphetamine, police added.

Investigation papers have since been submitted to the Johor Deputy Public Prosecutor’s Office. Two male suspects are expected to be charged at the Johor Baru Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday (Feb. 4) under Section 302 of the Penal Code for murder.

The remaining two suspects have been released on police bail and will be called as witnesses during the trial.