Exclusive | Inside the building where Rurik Jutting murdered two women
The British banker’s flat has been unoccupied since the deaths
Three days of torture, two killings and the subsequent arrest of a double murderer – all this took place in a 400 sq ft apartment in a ritzy residential project on one of Wan Chai’s busiest corners.
British banker Rurik Jutting, who killed two young Indonesian women two years ago, rented the high-floor flat for more than HK$20,000 per month after coming to Hong Kong in October 2013, and lived there until his arrest on November 1, 2014.
Real estate agents said the unit where the women died had been unoccupied since the ghastly events, and that its owner had no plans to sell the property.
Flats one floor above and below also have not changed hands since the incident, given the fact that local people still remember what happened in Jutting’s rooms.
But other units in the plush J Residence apartment block are massively popular, according to the agents.
“It’s a relatively new building,” said one agent, who wanted to remain anonymous. “Besides, many tenants, who may be new to Hong Kong, are unaware of the news.”
Certain special facilities in the building also attracted a lot of interest from foreign tenants, he added.
Property agents said a 400 sq ft one-bedroom unit could cost about HK$25,000 a month in rent.
A foreigner who lives in one of the units told the Post he found the block’s surroundings very pleasant.
A shopkeeper who runs his business opposite the building said he had almost forgotten about the killings, which happened two years ago.
“We are very busy,” he said.
The Post visited flats in the block with the same layout or similar view to Jutting’s former home.
Most of them have a balcony. That was where Jutting placed a suitcase stuffed with the dead body of his first victim, 23-year-old Sumarti Ningsih.
The Briton was also said to have climbed from his balcony, which commanded an open view of Queen’s Road East, to his neighbour’s, several feet away.
To donate
The Asian Migrants’ Coordinating Body is raising funds for the two victims’ families over two weeks. You can donate at:
Account name: Association of Indonesian Migrant Workers in Hong Kong
Account address: Nathan Road, Jordan, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR
Account number: 127-7-027379
Bank name: HSBC
Please SMS or Whatsapp your receipt to 6992 0878.
