MEDAN, INDONESIA — Amran Parulian, a 36-year-old journalist from the city of Medan in Indonesia, was stabbed to death on March 29 in what police say was a premeditated revenge killing. <br /> <br />The killer has been identified as Timbul Sihombing, a friend of the deceased. Police say Timbul admitted to to killing Amran over an outstanding debt from 2015, equivalent to less than US$340. <br /> <br />The night before the murder, Amran received a phone call at home. His wife later told police he kept this detail a secret, but the call had come from Timbul. <br /> <br />The following morning Amran took his son to school. After dropping the child off, Amran visited a nearby cellphone store. <br /> <br />When Amran exited the store, Timbul was there waiting. Timbul attacked but Amran fought back and the fight exploded. <br /> <br />Timbul then unsheathed a Japanese Tanto dagger. <br /> <br />He thrust the 12-inch blade into Amran repeatedly. The attack was brutal. Amran took it three times in the stomach, once in the solar plexus and twice in the back. <br /> <br />He died at the scene. <br /> <br />Timbul was arrested and following 10 hours of interrogation, admitted in full to the crime.
