Japanese woman was murdered by close acquaintances: Police

Police in Bali have identified two suspects in last weekend’s murder of Japanese woman Hiromi Shimada in Kuta.

Denpasar Police chief Sr. Comr. Alit Widana said Tuesday his office had already gathered sufficient evidence to charge the two, but declined to name them, saying only the victim had known them well.

“We expect to arrest the suspects within the next two days,” Alit told kompas.com.

He added the suspects had likely killed Shimada, 44, for personal reasons.

“We’re positive that the motive in the case wasn’t robbery. We’re still working on the exact motive,” he said.

Shimada’s naked body was found on the floor of her rented house with several stab wounds to the abdomen, while her ankles were bound with a cord.

The victim was a frequent visitor to the island, and had last arrived in Bali on Nov. 30, 2009, on a tourist visa.