Natalie Woodworth, 19, a close friend of model Ivana Esther Smit, said although police had classified the case as sudden death, suicide or drug abuse was highly unlikely.
“We just want the truth to come out, no matter what it is. We will accept it, but we need proof.
“If they say it’s a fall, then show proof that it’s a fall. Whatever it is, we just want the truth,” she said in an interview with FMT.
Ivana, 18, was found dead after falling from the 20th floor of the CapSquare Residences in Kuala Lumpur on Dec 7. She was found sprawled in the nude on a sixth-floor balcony.
Police however declared no foul play was involved.
Woodworth said she and Ivana had been part of a group of four close friends from the time they studied together in an international school in Penang.
“Ivana, Rosanna Patmanathan, Mae-Ziele Nyara Joseph and I all met when we studied at Tenby School in Penang,” she said.
Recalling her final moments with Ivana, Woodworth said she met her for dinner in July.
“I always told her how grateful I was to have met her, and she would say the same.
“I don’t know what high school would have been like without her. And I always told her how proud I am of all her accomplishments and achievements.
“She had always dreamt of becoming a model, and her dream came true because she worked very hard at such a young age,” Woodworth said.
She added that Ivana made a huge impact on her life and had taught her a lot of life lessons.
Shocked by news of Ivana’s death
Woodworth said the death of her best friend came as a shock, and that she drove down to Hospital Kuala Lumpur immediately from Penang to see her.
“When I heard about her passing, I didn’t believe it. I didn’t believe it until I rushed down to KL on Friday but I only got to see her on Saturday when her parents arrived.
“It really broke me, seeing her wrapped in white cloth and being rolled on a stroller at the morgue. I just could not believe that I had lost her,” Woodworth said.
Another friend, Catarina Cheah, 25, refused to believe Ivana would have committed suicide as rumoured.
She said Ivana appeared to be happy and in good spirits when she bumped into her at a grocery store in Mont Kiara, Kuala Lumpur, last month.
“Ivana was full of confidence and not suicidal. She was street smart and would have sorted out whatever problems she might have. Impossible for her to jump off the building.
“She told me she had come back to Malaysia from Europe to start her modelling career here again. Ivana also introduced me to her German boyfriend, whom she had just started dating.
“We were supposed to meet soon. I refuse to believe that she had fallen off a building due to intoxication or drugs. I know her, she is not that type,” Cheah said.
Boyfriend’s heartfelt note
Meanwhile, Ivana’s boyfriend, Lukas Kramer, took to Instagram to post her pictures along with a heartfelt note.
In the note, Kramer recalled how they had taught each other new languages and how she inspired him in his life.
“I miss you. I miss waking up with you, talking to you, laughing and just being with you. The time we spent together was by far the best time in my life.
“You gave me love and affection in a way I never felt before. Every day I wonder where you are and when you will come back. I need you!
“Do you remember jet skiing in Penang or how we tried to teach each other our mother languages? It all just started,” he said.
Kramer then signed off with a line in Dutch, “Ik hou van je!” which means “I love you”.