Australia murder victim was ‘Indonesian transexual sex worker’ – report

JAKARTA, Indonesia – The victim in the gruesome murder-suicide case in Australia, where body parts were reportedly found cooking on a stove in a Brisbane apartment, is believed to be Indonesian transgender Mayang Prasetyo.

Police have yet to formally identify the victim, but the Courier Mail reported Tuesday that Mayang was married to Australian chef Marcus Peter Volke, 28, in August 2013. Family members said they had no indication the couple had problems, but neighbors reported hearing them fighting before Saturday, October 4.

On that day, police responded to a complaint about a terrible smell emanating from the couple’s apartment. Volke is then understood to have fled when police arrived, before slitting his throat. His body was later found in a nearby street.

Inside the apartment, police reportedly found dismembered remains, including what appeared to be feet in a pot on the stove.

According to the report, Mayang was marketing herself online as a “top high-class Asian shemale’’, charging up to $500 an hour for her services.

Nining Sukarni, Mayang’s mother, told the Courier Mail she was devastated at the loss of her eldest child, who was the family breadwinner and regularly sent money back to Indonesia to support them.

Tributes to Mayang have already begun pouring in, and a Facebook community page has been set up for this purpose. – Rappler.com