Two naked women with strangulation marks on their necks were found in a guestroom of the MGM COTAI casino-hotel resort in the early hours of Saturday, the police announced later that day.

According to a Public Security Police (PSP) statement in the early hours of Saturday, Fire Services Bureau (CB) officers rushed to the guestroom on Friday night responding to an ambulance service request. PSP officers then also went to the scene. The statement did not say who requested the ambulance service.

Macau’s ambulance service is handled by the Fire Services Bureau.

The firefighters and PSP officers found two lifeless bodies in the room, after which they passed the case to the Judiciary Police (PJ) requesting a criminal investigation.

According to a PJ statement on Saturday morning, two “completely naked” bodies were found lying on their backs on the floor by the window of the room, with strangulation marks on their necks.

The statement noted that no signs of a struggle were found at the scene, adding that according to initial indications the two women were strangled to death with a bathrobe belt. According to the statement, there were signs that the crime scene had been tidied up by the perpetrator or perpetrators. No ID documents or other belongings of the two women were found in the room.

Preliminary forensic examinations found that both were strangled to death. One of the victims had a scratch on her right arm, the statement said, adding that no other visible trauma or resistance wounds were found.

Saturday’s PJ statement said that post-mortem examinations will be performed on both bodies.

The statement said that the Judiciary Police are working on identifying the victims and have launched a manhunt for the suspect or suspects.

The cases are Macau’s first homicides this year.

Three homicides were reported last year, one more than in 2020. All of last year’s three homicide victims were female unlicensed currency dealers from the mainland. 

A Judiciary Police (PJ) car is parked outside the MGM COTAI casino-hotel resort where two naked women’s bodies were found in a guestroom in the early hours of Saturday. Photo courtesy of TDM