Jakarta, ThedailyID — Police in Denpasar, Bali, have arrested a 26-year-old Singaporean national, identified by the initials MZ, over the alleged murder of his girlfriend at a boarding house in South Denpasar.
Officers arrested the suspect on Wednesday night, July 15, at around 10 p.m. local time, just hours after authorities received a report about the discovery of the victim’s body.
Denpasar Police Chief Senior Commissioner Leonardo D. Simatupang said investigators captured the suspect on Bypass Ngurah Rai after identifying him through a joint investigation involving Bali Police, Denpasar Police, and South Denpasar detectives.
Police completed the arrest in less than three hours.
The victim, identified as AS (26) from Tegal, Central Java, had reportedly been in a relationship with the suspect for about a year.
Investigators believe the suspect attacked the victim because of personal grievances linked to their relationship.
“Based on the initial interrogation, the motive was resentment stemming from their romantic relationship,” Simatupang said.
Police said the suspect allegedly strangled the victim for approximately 15 minutes before attempting to flee toward Sanur.
Authorities also revealed that the suspect had overstayed his Indonesian visa for about a year after arriving in Bali as a tourist in 2025.
The victim’s younger sibling discovered the body after becoming concerned because the victim could no longer be reached by phone.
Upon arriving at the boarding house, the sibling noticed a strong foul odor. After entering the room, the witness found the victim’s body partially covered with stuffed toys and a folded carpet.
Moments later, the suspect reportedly emerged from a neighboring room. When asked about the victim, he gave no answer.
The witness then struck him with a helmet before the suspect fled on a motorcycle.
Police said the victim and her sibling worked at a billiards venue in Kuta.
Another witness, identified as DP, told investigators she had recently begun dating the suspect after meeting him at her workplace.
She said the suspect invited her to stay at the boarding house on Saturday, July 11. During the visit, she noticed a foul smell but did not question it.
When she later asked about the odor, the suspect allegedly became angry and punched a wall.
The boarding house manager said the victim and the suspect had lived there together since March 2025.
Authorities found the victim lying on the floor. The body had already decomposed significantly and emitted a strong odor.
Police transferred the body to Prof. Ngoerah General Hospital in Denpasar for an autopsy.
