Palembang, KOTABARI.COM – A luxury white-painted house in Komplek Kehutanan Tiga, Lorong Kelengkeng Raya, Alang-Alang Lebar District, Palembang City has been cordoned off by police. The house has been abandoned by its occupants who fled after living there for the past year.
The house belongs to Antoni, a suspect in the murder of Anton Eka Saputra, a cooperative employee. Antoni, along with two other men, Kalf and Pongki, allegedly killed Anton and buried his body by encasing it in concrete behind Antoni’s distro store.
Antoni, originally from North Lampung, is now a fugitive after fleeing following the murder. He was last seen by local shopkeepers around his store on Sunday, June 9, 2024.
According to a neighbor who wished to remain anonymous, the house has been occupied by Antoni and his wife for the past year. “They’ve only been living here for a year. The house was built gradually over three years,” said the neighbor when interviewed on Thursday, June 27, 2024.
Previously, Antoni and his wife lived in the distro store they had been running for years. “They used to live in the rented store. Because they wanted a place closer to the store, they decided to build their own house here,” the neighbor explained.
Antoni and his wife were last seen before Eid al-Adha, and no one knows where they have gone since then. Neighbors were also shocked to hear about the murder that took place in the distro. “I left for the holiday on June 14, and by then they were already gone. We didn’t expect this because he usually stayed at the store when it was busy. We thought he was sleeping there,” the neighbor added.
In his interactions with the local community, Antoni was known to be quite friendly and normal, just like other neighbors. “He was an ordinary person. If there were activities here, he would join. And he usually opened the store in the morning and came home around 10 PM,” the neighbor said.
Haryanto, one of the vendors near the distro store, mentioned that Antoni was last seen on Sunday, June 9, 2024. The store has not opened since Monday, June 10, 2024. “I last saw him on Sunday. After that, the store didn’t open again. We don’t really know where he went; everyone is busy with their own business,” Haryanto said.
Authorities are now actively searching for Antoni and his two accomplices involved in the murder. Meanwhile, the luxury house in Komplek Kehutanan Tiga remains under police surveillance.