Couple make gruesome find - dead teen tied to chair

MALACCA - A couple checking to buy a vacant shophouse made a gruesome discovery, when they stumbled onto the body of a 13-year-old boy believed to be murdered at Taman Merdeka Jaya at 6.15pm today.

State Criminal Investigation Department chief, ACP Raja Shahrom Raja Abdullah said the body, found with the hands and legs tied and mouth covered with masking tape, was found propped-up on a chair which had fallen on its back, on the first floor of the shophouse.

"We received a report on the gruesome discovery at 7pm.

"Upon reaching the scene, on the first floor of the premises, the boy clad in jeans and t-shirt, was found without any visible injuries.

"We believe the boy had been dead the past 24-hours as the body was still fresh," he said.

Also present at the scene was Raja Shahrom's deputy, Supt P. R. Gunarajan.

Raja Shahrom also said that the identity of the boy is unknown as no identification was found.

"We are also checking if there is any missing person report lodged.

"We have sent the body to Hospital Melaka for a post-mortem and the results would only be known tomorrow.

"We have classified this case as murder and investigations are underway," he said.

Meanwhile, a witness, Yong Kok Seong, 60, said he was alerted on the gruesome discovery by a couple and their family wanting to buy the shophouse.

"It was at about 6.15pm, when the couple brought along their parents to survey a shophouse that they were interested to buy, just two building away from the house I'm staying in.

"Looking frightened, they told me they saw a teen lying and tied to a chair on the floor and they were unsure if the boy is dead.

"Out of curiosity, I asked another neighbour to tag along and we both went up to discover a boy with his hands and legs tied to a plastic chair," he said.

Yong said he immediately alerted the police and minutes later, they arrived at the scene.

He said the couple had initially arrived at the shoplot at about 5.15pm and were measuring the shoplot and surveying front and back of the premises.

"I was returning home from my working place and they told me they were interested to buy the place before leaving.

"Fourty five minutes later, they came back with their parents to survey the inside of the house. They told me the grille downstairs was not locked but only secured with black wire.

"They cut the wire and walked upstairs to find the body, and that was when they rushed down to inform me," he said.