A family crime shocked Tirana yesterday evening where an American who worked as a teacher in Albania strangled his wife, two dogs and finally himself with a rope.
The police initially found the 55-year-old American Matthew James Wertz hanging by the main door. As they ascertained this, they called the expert and when they entered the apartment, they saw his Indonesian wife Lilis Sartika Saragih drowned, as well as the two dogs. According to the police, they also turned out to have drowned today.
A letter was found in Wertz’s home in which he addressed his father:
“I’m sorry dad! I am doing something for which you will judge me, I am putting an end to the lives of my dearest people”.
According to the information, he has no fights or problems reported to the police with his wife.
Initially, it is suspected that the event happened in depressed conditions, but this is a preliminary track and is being investigated by the police.
The incident was discovered by the school director, as the American did not go to school. When he opened the door, he found the dead bodies and notified the police.
Notification of the police
Following the notification given about the hanging in the apartment of the American citizen Matthew Janes Wertz, born on 11.03.1971, and following the investigative actions, we clarify the public opinion as follows:
In one of the rooms of the rented apartment, which was closed, the Indonesian citizen Saragih Indah Lilis Sartika, born on 11.03.1976, was found murdered, previously strangled with a rope. Likewise, two domestic animals (dogs) were found killed in this environment. It is initially believed that both dogs were hit with a hard tool (baseball bat).
Both of the above citizens have a residence permit in Albania and from preliminary information it appears that they are married to each other. Citizen Matthew Janes Wertz was employed as a teacher in a private school in the city of Tirana, while citizen Saragih Indah Lilis Sartika was unemployed.
The Structures for the Investigation of Serious Crimes in the Tirana Local Police Directorate in cooperation with the Tirana Police Station No. 3, under the direction of the Prosecutor’s Office of the Judicial District of the General Jurisdiction of Tirana, have carried out all the necessary procedural actions: the investigation of the place of the event, the questioning of persons who are aware of the circumstances of the investigation, the preliminary examination of the corpses in the presence of the coroner, the preliminary examination of the animals in the presence of a veterinarian, the seizure of material evidence such as;
– the ropes found on the bodies of the two corpses;
– a handwritten letter in English describing the actions taken by the author;
– earlier manuscripts of citizen Matthew Janes Wertz;
– former manuscripts of citizen Matthew Janes Wertz seized from the private school where he taught;
– a mobile phone;
– four laptop computers;
– a baseball bat;
– an amount of money in Albanian lek and foreign currencies;
– a Mercedes A Class vehicle, number plate AA 510 YP owned by citizen Matthew Janes Wertz.
The autopsy of the corpses will be performed on 20.08.2024 at the Institute of Forensic Medicine in Tirana.
All seized evidence will be subjected to the necessary forensic and forensic examinations.
The investigative group under the direction of the Prosecutor’s Office of the Judicial District of the General Jurisdiction of Tirana continues to carry out procedural actions for the complete legal documentation of this serious event.
The materials were passed for further prosecution to the Prosecutor’s Office of the Judicial District of the General Jurisdiction of Tirana for the criminal offences, “Murder due to family relations” provided by article 79/c of the Criminal Code and “Intentional killing of a companion animal” provided by article 207/b of the Criminal Code.
