Johor Bahru North District police deputy chief Supt Beh Eng Lai said the bodies of J Sumathi, 45, and K Arthhinee were found by Sumathi’s husband, T Krishakumar, at about 10pm after he returned home to Taman Skudai Indah from work.

Their two older children had also returned home at about the same time after having gone to a shopping mall in Tampoi to buy school items, Beh said in a statement today.

Hospital staff, who examined the bodies, said Sumathi and Arthhinee died about three hours earlier, at about 7pm, he said.

He said Sumathi was found hanged in the gym room on the ground floor while Arthhinee’s body, with strangulation marks, was found on the first floor.

Beh said one of the children had tried to telephone Sumathi several times at about 7pm, but the calls went unanswered.

When Krishakumar and the children returned home, they found the front door locked and had to use a spare key to open it, he said, adding that they later found the bodies of Sumathi and Arthhinee.

Beh said an investigation found Sumathi was suffering from stage 4 cancer and had often complained to the family that she did not want to live anymore.

He said the bodies were sent to the Sultanah Aminah Hospital.