Man charged with murder, sodomy of child 24 years ago

AMMAN — The criminal court prosecutor has charged a 52-year-old man over the weekend with premeditated murder and sodomy of a child in connection with a case dating back to 24 years ago in Zarqa, a senior judicial source said Saturday.

The suspect, a bus driver, reportedly confessed to sexually assaulting and murdering a nine-year-old child in a deserted house in the Hussein neighbourhood of Zarqa, police and the judicial source told The Jordan Times.

“The suspect gave explicit details that only the killer could know regarding this murder, including stuffing a plastic bag in the child’s mouth to choke him,” the judicial source said.

Investigators also relied on some witnesses, including a woman who was eight-year old when the suspect attempted to sexually assault her in the same area but escaped, according to the judicial source.

“The woman informed investigators that she saw a distinct tattoo on the suspect’s arm that she never forgot following the ordeal she went through herself,” the source said.

Other witnesses came forward to testify that the “suspect was known to sexually molest children in the neighbourhood where the murder occurred, while others who knew him testified to seeing him near the crime scene”, he added.

Criminal Court Prosecutor Ahmad Kanani charged the suspect with premeditated murder to prelude to a felony and sodomy, charges that could land the defendant the death penalty, according to the judicial source.

“Kanani will summon more witnesses for questioning before sending the case to the Criminal Court for trial,” the source added.

In the meantime, the suspect was ordered detained for 14 days at a correctional and rehabilitation centre pending further investigations.

The case was part of dozens of unsolved murders that were re-opened recently by the Public Security Department upon instructions by PSD Director Maj. Gen. Atef Saudi.