KOTA KINABALU: It may have been a case of sibling rivalry taken to extremes when a 26-year-old man allegedly killed his younger sister at their family home in the uptown Signal Hill area here.
Police are still trying to determine what led to the tragedy as the main suspect has kept silent since his arrest.
He is alleged to have beaten his 25-year-old sister into unconsciousness before leaving her in the house at 4.50pm on Thursday (May 4)
Their father, a former senior bank manager, later found his daughter lying face down and bleeding from facial injuries.
She was rushed to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital II here and warded in the intensive care unit, where she succumbed to her injuries without regaining consciousness at 10.30pm on Saturday (May 6).
The father lodged a report on the day of the incident.
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“The father suspected his son had injured the victim as they were the only two people in the house (at the time of the incident) and the duo had frequently quarrelled as well,” Kota Kinabalu OCPD Asst Comm Mohd Zaidi Abdullah said in a statement on Tuesday (May 9).
The victim's name has been withheld.
Following the report, police arrested the brother at the house not long after the incident but have yet to establish what triggered the alleged fight.
“As of now, the suspect has not made any statement in relation to the incident,” ACP Mohd Zaidi said.
“We are still investigating the cause."
He said police did not find any weapon but seized two rings worn by the suspect, which they believed caused the injuries on the victim.
He added that a neighbour heard loud screams coming from the victim’s house at about 4.30pm on the day in question before seeing the suspect leaving.
ACP Mohd Zaidi said investigations were earlier framed under Section 325 of the Penal Code for voluntarily causing grievous hurt but the case had since been reclassified under Section 302 for murder.
He also said the suspect tested negative for drugs.
A family member posted on Facebook: “She’s not the only one we lost. There will be a time and a place when my family is able to answer your questions. All we can say is that this case is still under investigation.
“For now we are still grieving. We appreciate your prayers, we are still processing. Thank you.”
