THE man who was charged and later acquitted of killing his sister-in-law and former beauty queen, Jean Perera Sinnappa, 44 years ago, died today.

S. Karthigesu, a former psychology lecturer, was 81 years old.

It is learnt that he died at his home in Teluk Pulai, Klang, this morning after a short illness.

The Star Online reported that Karthigesu suffered from a heart ailment and had dementia.

The report also said he was warded in a private hospital for several days before being discharged.

Karthigesu leaves behind his wife, two daughters and a son.

His funeral will take place tomorrow in Klang.

Karthigesu became infamous when he was charged with killing his late brother’s wife, Jean Perera, on April 6, 1979.

Jean Perera, 31 then, was well known in beauty pageants at the time.

She was found dead with multiple stab wounds in Karthigesu’s car on the Federal Highway near the Subang airport interchange.

Karthigesu was found lying next to the car in a disorientated state. He claimed that he had stopped to ease himself but he was beaten up and fell unconscious.

In the murder trial, it was stated that Karthigesu, then 37, was courting Jean Perera at the time but she was also supposedly involved with someone else.

The trial went on for more than a month with close to 60 witnesses testifying at the Kuala Lumpur High Court.

Karthigesu was subsequently found guilty and sentenced to death

However, two months later, he was freed after a key witness in the case was found to have committed perjury for giving false testimony.

No one else was ever charged with Jean Perera’s murder.

Karthigesu, meanwhile, had been living out of the public eye in Klang. – August 27, 2023.