DENPASAR, Bali – A 26-year-old woman was found dead in an advanced state of decomposition inside a boarding house room in Pedungan, South Denpasar, on Wednesday night, with police later arresting her Singaporean boyfriend as part of their investigation.

The grim discovery was made after the victim’s younger sibling, identified by the initials RA, became concerned when repeated attempts to contact her went unanswered.

According to Denpasar Police, RA went to the boarding house to check on the victim and noticed a strong foul odor even before entering the property. The smell became even stronger as the sibling approached the room.

Inside, RA encountered the victim’s boyfriend, a Singaporean national identified by the initials MZ. When asked about the victim’s whereabouts, MZ allegedly remained silent. Growing suspicious, RA struck him with a helmet before the man fled the scene on a motorcycle.

Moments later, the victim’s body was discovered beneath a pile of stuffed toys.

Police said the body had already shown significant signs of decomposition, including swelling, peeling skin, and a strong odor, suggesting the woman had been dead for some time before she was found.

Officers from the Denpasar Police Criminal Investigation Unit secured the scene and evacuated the body for further examination.

Denpasar Police spokesperson Iptu I Gede Adi Saputra Jaya said investigators are treating the case as a suspected assault.

“A woman was found dead and is suspected to have been the victim of an assault,” Adi said.

Despite the suspicion, police said a preliminary examination found no visible external injuries on the victim’s body. An autopsy is now underway to determine the exact cause and time of death.

Police have since arrested MZ, who remains under investigation as detectives work to establish the exact circumstances surrounding the woman’s death.

The investigation is ongoing, and authorities have not yet announced the autopsy findings or confirmed any formal charges against the suspect.