“I Feel Like Killing Someone” — WhatsApp Messages Revealed In Zayn Rayyan Case
Court hears shocking WhatsApp messages retrieved from the phones of Zayn Rayyan’s parents. Forensic expert reveals deleted texts tied to child neglect investigation.
In a dramatic session at the Petaling Jaya Sessions Court on 7 April, the trial surrounding the tragic death of six-year-old Zayn Rayyan Abdul Matin took a chilling turn after the court was presented with deleted WhatsApp messages extracted from two mobile phones.
The messages, some dating back to June 2023, were presented by ASP Mohd Zaidi Abu Hassan, a digital forensics expert and the prosecution’s 25th witness. He told the court that he had recovered the messages using digital forensic tools from two devices — an iPhone and a Huawei phone — both believed to belong to Zayn’s parents, Zaim Ikhwan Zahari and Ismanira Abdul Manaf, both aged 30.
The iPhone was linked to an iCloud account under the name “Ismanira”, while the Huawei phone was associated with a Google account registered to “Zaim Ikhwan Zahari”. However, ASP Zaidi noted that he could not confirm with certainty the ownership of the devices.
Among the most disturbing pieces of evidence were messages expressing violent intent and emotional breakdowns, allegedly exchanged between contacts saved as “Baby Sayang” and “Manja”.
Some of the retrieved messages include:
20 June 2023
– “So stressful, I feel like killing someone”
– “Have to beat them up, I cannot even rest”
– “You have to beat till satisfied”
– “Wait till there is pain or death, then [they will] know”
11 October 2023
– “So stressed with Zayn”
– “Feel like killing myself”
6 December 2023 (the day Zayn went missing)
– “Zayn is missing”
– “He ran away”
– “Screw it lah, if [you] want to live or die”
– “Super tired of searching”
– “I am so frustrated”
ASP Zaidi explained that he used XRY, a mobile forensics software, to extract the data. He ensured the process preserved the integrity of the devices, and then converted the extracted data into HTML format for examination.
“Only I had access to the analysis system in my office,” he said in court.
Zayn Rayyan was found dead on 6 December 2023 near a stream behind Block R of Apartment Idaman in Damansara Damai, Petaling Jaya. His case sparked national outrage and a thorough police investigation.
Both parents have been charged under Section 31(1)(a) of the Child Act 2001, for neglect that may cause physical or emotional harm, in conjunction with Section 34 of the Penal Code for joint liability. They have pleaded not guilty.The charges relate to alleged neglect that occurred between 12pm on 5 December and 9.55pm on 6 December 2023, within the vicinity of their home and the stream where Zayn’s body was later discovered.
Source : Nst
