Man Murdered By Girlfriend While On Call With His Ex’ (Photos)

Man Murdered By Girlfriend While On Call With His Ex’ (Photos)

Indonesian cops have said they are inclined to believe tragic Brit dad Matt Harper killed himself in Bali – just as his murder-suspect girlfriend claimed.

The 48-year-old died from multiple stab wounds in his home on the paradise island on Thursday.

Pals said Matt, originally from Gloucester but who worked in Bali since February 2020, was on video call with loved ones back in the UK when he was allegedly murdered.

His Indonesian-born girlfriend Emmy Pakpahan was quizzed by cops over the incident and remains under investigation.

Pakpahan, who is in her 40s and is Indonesian-born but has US citizenship from a previous marriage, told police that Matt killed himself.

Bali’s director of criminal investigation, police chief Mr Surawan, told The Sun today: “I can’t say this is murder yet. So far we suspect that Mr Harper died by suicide.”

Mr Surawan said CCTV footage from Matt’s villa showed him and Pakpahan on the property on Thursday morning.

He went on: “It is reported the victim escorted his girlfriend out of the villa.

“Mr Harper then entered the villa and went to the bedroom and locked the bedroom door.

“His girlfriend then came back and peeked into the room and saw that the victim was in a critical condition. She then took the victim to the hospital, but he was not saved.

“Mr Harper has wounds to his neck and stomach from a sharp weapon.

“We are still investigating and interviewing a number of witnesses, including Miss Pakpahan.

“We also have to wait for the autopsy results to confirm the cause of death. No one has been arrested so far.”

Matt, who worked for luxury hotel firm Karma, had been in a relationship with Pakpahan since last July, according to pals.

She showed investigators a video of him dying on the floor of his Bali home moments after the suspected attack on Thursday.

Pakpahan filmed the footage herself from outside the property, claiming Matt had locked the doors and intentionally harmed himself.

She sobs in the clip: “I don’t know what’s happened. I don’t know, I don’t know.”

Pals said they were boyfriend and girlfriend but she seemed to suggest they were wed with a “Mr and Mrs Harper” Facebook pic in October.

And in a bizarre video on social media, she films herself thanking friends and family for their “support” after news of his death broke.

But Matt’s devastated friends said they cannot believe the dad-of-two would deliberately harm himself – and leave behind his two young daughters in the UK.

One close pal on Bali said: “It’s just not true. He was in good spirits the day before it happened.”

And one of Matt’s ex-girlfriends told The Sun: “I was with him before he got with Emmy. He was a perfect gentleman, a caring and lovely man. He was the love of my life. I can’t believe he’s gone.

“He texted me just a few days before he died, saying he hated Emmy because she ruined his life — and he was sorry for leaving me.

“He was the best father to his two girls and step-daughter and was loved by many friends in the UK and Bali. May he rest in peace.”

Other friends revealed they feared for Matt’s safety in the weeks leading up to his death.

They described Pakpahan as a “psycho” girlfriend who has been accused on Bali Facebook groups of being a serial scammer who has conned foreigners out of tens of thousands of pounds.

Matt is understood to have arrived in Bali in February 2020. He got a job with the hotel group and often shared videos and pics on social media of his “dream” life on the Indonesian island.

A keen chef, he regularly cooked treats for friends on Bali and even held a “Come Dine With Me” event at a restaurant there last year.

A Foreign & Commonwealth Office spokesman said last night: “We are in contact with the Indonesian police regarding the death of a British man in Bali, and are supporting the family at this difficult time.”