Sarawak police chief Zainal Abdullah said based on the statements of the couple’s family, friends and colleagues, the husband, a headmaster, had struggled with depression since being transferred to a school in Lubok Antu, Sri Aman.

He said chemical analysis found no foreign DNA on the sharp weapon used in the murder, hinting at a murder-suicide, Berita Harian reported.

“Only the DNA of the victims was found on the weapon. Therefore, the inference we can make is that the murder only involved the couple,” he was quoted as saying.

“What we can say is that the case has been solved, because there were no signs of a break-in or items missing. We are now waiting for the forensic checks of the victims’ phones, which could shed light on the real motive.”

A post-mortem of the male victim determined that the cause of death was injuries to the neck and chest due to stabbing. The wife’s cause of death was confirmed as a neck injury due to stabbing.