Venjaramoodu murder and assault attempt: Youth caught sleeping next door after killing elderly woman

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The 22-year-old man who has been taken into police custody has confessed to the murder of an elderly woman living alone. The accused, identified as Jithu, a native of Sreenarayanapuram, was arrested after forensic evidence linked him to the crime scene. According to the police, the accused was intoxicated at the time of the incident and attempted to assaut the victim before strangling her to death.

The investigation revealed that Jithu had been a frequent visitor to a relative’s house located near the victim’s residence and had established a rapport with her over time. Following the murder, he remained at the relative's house to avoid suspicion. However, the breakthrough in the case came through electronic evidence and forensic analysis. Investigators discovered one of Jithu’s two mobile phones inside the victim's house. Investigators discovered the device inside the victim's house during the initial sweep, providing an immediate and undeniable link to the accused.

By analyzing signal tower data and real-time location pings, the cyber team identified that a second phone was active at the time of the incident and stationary at a residence immediately adjacent to the victim’s home. This precise digital tracking allowed the police to pinpoint his location with high accuracy. Acting on this data, the team conducted a targeted inspection of the neighboring property, where they found Jithu asleep. Further evidence of his presence at the scene was corroborated by a broken lock on the back door and the discovery of cigarette butts in the room where the body was found.

Following the report, a specialized police team led by Attingal DySP Santosh Kumar, Venjaramoodu SHO Pratheesh, and SIs Monish and Ambareesh arrived at the scene. Alongside the dog squad and the forensic department, they conducted an extensive investigation that led to Jithu being apprehended at the neighboring house while he was asleep.