British woman accused of Malaysia murder has remand extended

A British woman suspected of murdering her husband on a Malaysian resort island was remanded in custody for another week Tuesday to give police time to complete their investigation. Samantha Jones, 51, was detained Thursday after her husband John William Jones, 62, was found with a stab wound to his chest on the floor of his house on Langkawi. The couple had lived for the past 11 years on the jungle-clad island in northwest Malaysia, which attracts millions of tourists to its beaches every year. At a court appearance Tuesday, a magistrate ordered that her remand be extended until October 30, local police chief Mohamad Iqbal Ibrahim told AFP. He added that the police investigation was nearly complete and he expected Jones to be charged soon. Jones is suspected of having killed her husband after an argument, according to police. A bloodstained, 30-centimetre (12-inch) knife was found on the floor of their bedroom following her arrest. Under current laws, she would be sentenced to death by hanging if found guilty of murder -- which carries a mandatory death sentence in Malaysia. However, the government recently pledged to abolish the death penalty for all crimes. Lawmakers still have to approve the changes.