S’porean man, 80, found encased in cement in Indonesia, murder suspect is 'jealous boyfriend' of love interest, 40

On Feb. 20, an 80-year-old Singaporean man named Syed Saleh was found dead in a river in Indonesia, encased in hard cement.

The victim's body was found floating in Citanduy River at around 2:30pm that day, reported Indonesian media outlet Detik.

According to a missing persons poster, Syed Saleh was last seen in a blue Toyota in Bogor on Feb. 16.

He was supposed to return to Singapore on Feb. 25.

Three suspects

Two suspects, whom Indonesian media identified only as H and K, have been arrested.

Police believe a third suspect was involved in the murder of the victim. The third person, identified as A, has not been caught.

H, K, and A know each other as they have previously worked together.

According to the police, A is believed to be the "mastermind" of the murder.

Jealousy-driven

The murder is suspected to be motivated by jealousy.

Cilacap Police Chief, Budi Adhy Buono, said A had a 40-year-old girlfriend named Lina whom Syed Saleh allegedly had feelings for.

"The motive was jealousy because the victim had feelings for a woman named Lina. However, Lina is in a relationship," he said.

According to the police, as reported by CNA Indonesia,  Lina's parents are familiar with the victim.

They would meet regularly as the victim apparently travelled to obtain alternative medication in Sukabumi.

Murder house

Further investigations revealed that the victim was allegedly murdered in a rented house in Sukabumi.

The murder was believed to have been premeditated, as the suspects started renting the house a month before the incident.

Before the incident happened, Syed Saleh supposedly travelled from Jakarta to Sukabumi to meet Lina, Detik reported.

When he arrived in Sukabumi, he was told to go to the rented house, where he was allegedly murdered.

Lina, however, supposedly didn't know of the fate that awaited Syed Saleh.

Premeditated

Upon reaching the rented house, Syed Saleh allegedly received two blows to the neck by H with a bamboo pole.

K had supposedly covered the victim's mouth to stifle his screams.

The two of them then allegedly wrapped the victim in a plastic sheet and a bedsheet before encasing him in a cement mixture, which eventually hardened.

They then allegedly drove to Cilacap, which is about 100km away, to dispose of the body in the river.

"The location of the disposal wasn't random, they already knew that there's a dam in Cilacap," said Budi.

The case is being investigated by the police department in Sukabumi.

Top image from Indonesia Police and social media.