JOHOR BARU: A fit of rage drove a 43-year-old man to allegedly kill his wife of eight years, the mother of his two young children, at their home in Taman Saujana, Kota Tinggi.
Johor police chief Comm Datuk Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay said the suspect shot the 38-year-old woman at close range using an air rifle while the victim was sleeping in their bedroom.
A missing persons report was lodged on Monday (March 1) after the victim, a clerk, was believed to have left their home at around 2am following a disagreement with the suspect, he told a press conference at the state police headquarters here on Friday (March 5).
Comm Ayob Khan said that following investigations, police arrested the suspect, who has two priors, and a 32-year-old man to help locate the victim.
The husband admitted to shooting the victim in the abdomen using an air rifle before covering her body with a bedsheet and putting the remains inside a blue plastic barrel.
The husband, assisted by the other suspect, then took the barrel and buried it in an empty field in Bandar Penawar, he added.
Comm Ayob Khan said the husband led police to where the victim was buried at around 10.30am on Thursday (March 4).
He added that investigations so far revealed that the motive behind the murder was jealousy as the couple was in the midst of a separation.
The suspect and the victim have two young children who are currently under the care of the late wifes family, he said.
Comm Ayob Khan said police seized an air rifle, a shotgun, 54 buckshot pellets, a sport utilitive vehicle, and an excavator, which belongs to the main suspect.
He said the suspect does not have any permit for the weapons.
He said the two men have been remanded until March 10 to help with investigations under Section 302 of the Penal Code for murder.
Comm Ayob Khan added that police were also investigating the case under Section 36 of the Firearms Act 1960.
