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Just after midnight on 1 May, members of the public discovered the bloodied body of a young woman in a paddy field near Kampung Simah, Ketereh, Kelantan, and alerted police
A post-mortem later confirmed her identity as Nurfisya Zulkifly, 19, a third-semester early childhood education student at Kolej Poly-Tech MARA (KPTM).
She had only just returned to campus.
A week before she was brutally murdered, her family had made the trip from Kuala Kangsar, Perak, to send her off for her new semester.
The case spread rapidly across social media, and so did the misinformation. Here's what we actually know.
Nurfisya Zulkifly.
Image via FMTWhat happened
Based on the investigators' findings reported by local media, Nurfisya was last seen at a condominium lobby near the Kelantan River in Kota Bharu at around 12.26pm on Thursday, 30 April.
She returned to the condominium at around 1pm, then left again at approximately 8pm, getting into a white Perodua Bezza driven by the main suspect.
Police believe Nurfisya was in the car with her boyfriend, aged 19, heading towards Ketereh, when she received a call from another man, believed to be a second 19-year-old suspect.
An argument broke out, during which the boyfriend allegedly pulled out a knife and stabbed her multiple times before dumping her body at the paddy field.
A villager who came across the body alerted police.
The area where the body of college student Nurfisya Zulkifly with 61 stab wounds was found in Kampung Kiat, Ketereh.
Image via Nik Abdullah Nik Omar/New Straits TimesThe post-mortem, carried out at Hospital Raja Perempuan Zainab II in Kota Bharu, confirmed 61 stab wounds across her body, neck, and face, with most injuries concentrated on the right side.
She is the second of four siblings and the only daughter in her family.
The suspects
Police arrested four people in less than 24 hours.
The main suspect, Nurfisya's 19-year-old boyfriend, was arrested after police raided his house in Kampung Belukar Luas near Ketereh.
His parents, aged 66 and 60, were also arrested at the scene after allegedly attempting to obstruct officers from carrying out their duties.
A fourth suspect, the 19-year-old boy believed to be a friend of the victim, was detained separately at Taman Murni, Jalan Abdul Kadir Adabi in Kota Bharu.
The two boys have been remanded for seven days. The parents of the boyfriend were remanded for three days. As of 4 May, the parents have been released on police bail, with investigations now focused on the two 19-year-old suspects.
Kelantan police chief Datuk Mohd Yusoff Mamat confirmed that all four suspects had no prior criminal records and tested negative for drugs. Items seized include a knife believed to be the murder weapon, two cars, two mobile phones, a set of clothing, and a pair of slippers.
The case is being investigated under Section 302 of the Penal Code for murder.
The four suspects at the magistrate's court in Kota Baru.
Image via Nik Abdullah Nik Omar/New Straits TimesThe family
Nurfisya's eldest brother, Muhammad Faris Zulkifly, 21, said he received a call from the police, informing him of his sister's death.
He could not bring himself to hear the details and ended the call.
The family learned what really happened only after reading news reports while making their way to Kota Bharu.
She was buried at the Tanah Perkuburan Islam Kampung Periang in Enggor in the early hours of 2 May, after the post-mortem was completed.
Mohd Faris Zulkifly holding a photograph of his sister, Nurfisya Zulkifly, at the forensic unit of Raja Perempuan Zainab II Hospital, Kota Baru.
Image via Nik Abdullah Nik Omar/New Straits TimesAs with many high-profile crimes in Malaysia, false information spread almost as fast as the news itself
Claim 1
One of the suspects' fathers is a retired police officer with influential connections.
Kota Bharu district police chief ACP Mohd Azmir Damiri addressed this, saying the allegation is completely untrue.
He clarified that the suspect's father is a retiree from another government agency, not a police officer.
"What has gone viral, claiming that he is a retired police officer and that there is a 'big connection' is completely untrue. We are conducting a thorough investigation into this case and hope that the public will not casually upload or share inaccurate information," he said.
Claim 2
Nurfisya was stabbed 105 times.
This claim spread widely on social media but has been denied by the police.
Mohd Azmir confirmed the post-mortem found 61 stab wounds, not 105. He clarified that the figure does not include scratches or minor wounds.
"The post-mortem results found 61 stab wounds on the victim's body, ranging from the face to the feet, with most injuries concentrated on the right side of the body. It does not include scratches or minor wounds that were present, and we remain with 61 stab wounds," he said.
Police forensic unit at the scene of the crime at Kampung Kubang Kiat, Ketereh
Image via New Straits TimesWhat the charge means
The suspects are being investigated under Section 302 of the Penal Code for murder.
No charges have been formally filed yet, and the two teenage suspects remain under remand while investigations continue.
If convicted, they face the death penalty or imprisonment of between 30 and 40 years, as well as whipping.
What we don't know yet
The exact role of the second 19-year-old suspect has not been officially confirmed.
Police have also not publicly named any of the suspects, given that formal charges have yet to be filed.
Two 19-year-old suspects remain under remand as police continue investigations into the murder of a college student in Ketereh.
Image via Bernama