Kota Kinabalu: Police have reclassified the disappearance of 11-year-old Nurjilya Abdullah as a murder case after her body was found near a house under construction in Kg Numbak, Sepanggar.
Acting Kota Kinabalu Police Chief Supt Syed Lot Syed Ab Rahman said the girl’s body was discovered at about 10.38pm on Wednesday after police received information from a member of the public.
The body was found on a bushy slope near the construction site and was already in an advanced state of decomposition. Her mother identified her based on the clothes she was wearing when she went missing on July 13.
A post-mortem found that the cause of death was injuries to the face and back of the head, believed to have been caused by a hard, blunt object.
Police have arrested two men to assist in the investigation. They will be brought to court for a remand application while investigations continue.
The motive has not yet been determined. Police are also recording statements from witnesses and gathering more evidence.
The public has been urged not to spread rumours or unverified information that could affect the investigation.
Anyone with information can contact investigating officer ASP La Paula Abd Muis at 013-5149490 or report to the nearest police station.
The case is being investigated under Section 302 of the Penal Code.
