THE 19-year-old Kolej Poly-Tech MARA KTPM) student who was brutally killed in Ketereh, Kelantan, has left the nation is shock with police confirming she suffered 61 stab wounds and arresting four suspects within 24 hours of the discovery of her body.
The victim, Nurfisya Zulkifly, a third-semester student at Kolej Poly-Tech MARA, was found in the early hours of 1 May 2026 in a paddy field area in Ketereh, where her bloodied body was discovered by members of the public before police were alerted.
Authorities later classified the case under Section 302 of the Penal Code for murder.
Kota Bharu district police chief Mohd Azmir Damiri said investigations moved swiftly, leading to the arrest of four suspects, including two teenage males and an elderly married couple aged 60 and 66, within less than 24 hours.
At about 12.22am on 1 May, the victim’s body was discovered in the paddy field area in Ketereh and reported to police. A post-mortem later confirmed her identity as Nurfisya Zulkifly, 19.
By 4.40pm the same day, police had made their first arrest, while at 8pm, the victim’s family arrived at the forensic unit of Hospital Raja Perempuan Zainab II in Kota Bharu after travelling from Kuala Kangsar, Perak, upon being informed of the tragedy.
By 2am on 2 May, all four suspects had been detained. At 8.40am, they were brought before the Kota Bharu Magistrate’s Court, where two teenage suspects were remanded for seven days, while the elderly couple was remanded for three days to assist investigations.
Police later disclosed a timeline of the victim’s movements prior to her death, which is being examined as part of the ongoing investigation.
She was reportedly seen at a condominium lobby near the Kelantan River in Kota Bharu at about 12.26pm on Thursday.
She is believed to have travelled in a black Honda City before visiting a restaurant in the city, returning to the condominium at about 1pm and leaving again around 8pm.
She was later seen travelling in a white Perodua Bezza with a male companion, with payment made in cash.
At 11.34pm, the victim uploaded a WhatsApp status showing her having a meal, shortly before her body was discovered hours later in Ketereh.
In a new development, police confirmed post-mortem findings showing 61 stab wounds on the victim’s body, rejecting viral claims that she had suffered more than 100 injuries.
Mohd Azmir said the injuries were spread from the face to the legs, with most concentrated on the right side of the body.
The post-mortem conducted at Hospital Raja Perempuan Zainab II (HRPZ II) found 61 stab wounds on the victim’s body, ranging from the face to the legs, with most of the injuries concentrated on the right side of the body.
“This does not include scratches or minor wounds, and we maintain that there are 61 stab wounds,” he said when contacted on Sunday.
Police said the clarification was necessary following social media claims alleging that there were 105 stab wounds, which they confirmed were inaccurate.
The victim, originally from Kuala Kangsar, Perak, died from multiple stab wounds to the chest.
Mohd Azmir said investigations into the motive are still ongoing and no further arrests have been made.
“The actual motive for the incident has not yet been identified and investigations into all suspects are still ongoing. So far, no new arrests have been made,” he said. - May 3, 2026
