Introduction
Malaysia has witnessed several high-profile unsolved murder cases that continue to haunt the nation.
1. Audrey Melissa Bathinathan
Audrey Melissa Bathinathan was a 17-year-old student at the Methodist Girls’ School in Kuala Lumpur. She resided with her mother, Margaret Francis, in Taman Industri Maju Jaya, Puchong, Selangor.
On 17 May 1999, Audrey left the house at 5.30 am, while Margaret went to work. She walked to school with a friend before splitting up and walking alone. She has not been seen alive since.
When Margaret returned home from work, she noticed that Audrey was not home. The family contacted some of Audrey’s friends, who confirmed that Audrey did not attend school that day. Margaret then filed a report with the Puchong Police Station.
The next day, Margaret received a phone call from the school principal, informing her that Audrey’s body had been discovered on Jalan Kinabalu, adjacent to a Tenaga Nasional substation. Audrey’s body was covered in mud and dirt. The underwear she was wearing had been pulled down to her ankles.
The forensic report found a wound on Audrey’s head, which was believed to have been caused by being hit with a stone. The tests found that she had been raped, and then strangled to death before her body was dumped at the substation.
The police initially detained two local drug addicts but later released them due to insufficient evidence linking them to the crime. No further arrests have been made to date.
2. Nurin Jazlin Jazimin
On 20 August 2007, eight-year-old Nurin Jazlin Jazimin went missing after visiting a night market in Wangsa Maju to buy a hair clip. CCTV footage showed Nurin being dragged into a white van on the night she disappeared.
Nearly a month later, on 17 September 2007, her naked body was discovered stuffed inside a sports bag left outside of a shop in Petaling Jaya. A cucumber and an eggplant had been inserted into her private part. Her death was caused by a bacterial infection, and evidence indicated that she had died more than six hours before her body was found.
On 28 September 2007, five people were arrested in connection with Nurin’s case. Four men were held for an additional seven days but were released due to insufficient evidence, while a female suspect was also released after questioning. 17 years have passed since this tragic incident, yet the perpetrator has yet to be found or brought to justice.
3. Teoh Beng Hock
Teoh Beng Hock was a political aide to former Selangor executive councillor Ean Yong Hian Wah. On 15 July 2009, Ean’s office was raided by officers from the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC). Teoh was directed by the MACC officers to go to the Selangor MACC office on the 14th floor of Plaza Masalam in Shah Alam for further questioning.
On 16 July 2009, around 1 pm, Teoh’s body was found on the fifth-floor maintenance rooftop of Plaza Masalam. It was later confirmed that he had fallen from a window on the 14th floor, where the MACC office is. A post-mortem revealed that Teoh had died from multiple injuries and was still alive when he fell. An inquiry conducted by the magistrate returned an open verdict, while the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) further concluded that Teoh’s death was due to suicide.
In the Court of Appeal case of Teoh Meng Kee v Public Prosecutor [2014] 5 MLJ 741, it was held that the death of Teoh was caused by multiple injuries from a fall from the 14th Floor of Plaza Masalam as a result of, or which was accelerated by, an unlawful act or acts of persons unknown, inclusive of MACC officers who were involved in the arrest and investigation of the deceased.
15 years after Teoh’s death, in August 2024, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced that the government had agreed to reopen the investigation into his death. The ongoing pursuit of justice for Teoh underscores the need for accountability and transparency in addressing this unresolved case.
