A jury trial for three men accused of brutally killing Teruko Franz Kingya, a beloved and well-known citizen of Ngeremlengui, has been scheduled to begin in September.
Serio Mengeolt, Kenneth Roman and Swayner Ngirangeang Johnny who were jailed late last year are facing multiple criminal charges including murder in the first degree, rape, and accessory after the fact.
For nearly six years, the case remained cold until it was reassigned to Officer Joram Madlutk in January 2013. Officer Madlutk reportedly reorganized the case, compiled information and continued the investigation, including re-interviewing key suspects and witnesses.
After a lengthy investigation and interviews with the three suspects, each finally revealed details about the atrocious crime that shocked the nation in 2008.
Mengeolt allegedly struck the victim’s face with a taro leaf shaped hoe and stabbed her with a screwdriver while she slept. He entered her home alone while Johnny and Roman remained outside. According to Mengeolt’s account, the other two men entered the house during his assault. Johnny proceeded to “choke her”.
The suspects also sexually desecrated the victim’s body, according to their accounts reported in the Affidavit of Probable Cause. Such act left behind strong evidence that led to their arrests in December 2014.
“DNA samples collected from the suspects were accurate matches to the forensic evidence gathered”, stated the Australian Federal Police (AFP) report. The suspects’ DNA was analyzed along with the victim’s sexual assault kit.
The jury trial has been scheduled from September 8-30, 2015 before Chief Justice Arthur Ngiraklsong.
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