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Ongoing case · 2023
Also known as Zayn Rayyan bin Abdul Matiin case
Ongoing case: this file carries charge-sheet facts only. Anyone charged is presumed innocent unless convicted.
The short answer
A six-year-old autistic boy, Zayn Rayyan bin Abdul Matiin, went missing in Damansara Damai, Selangor, Malaysia on December 5, 2023, and was found dead near a riverbank the next night; police later confirmed he had been murdered, and his parents were arrested months later as part of the investigation.
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Disappearance and discovery
On December 5, 2023, Zayn Rayyan bin Abdul Matiin, a six-year-old child with autism, was reported missing at 6:36 pm after last being seen playing in his school uniform in the Damansara Damai area of Selangor, Malaysia. His family and local media circulated appeals for information. On the evening of December 6, local police worked alongside hundreds of apartment residents on search-and-rescue efforts, including door-to-door searches of the surrounding neighborhood. That night, residents found Zayn dead near a riverbank in nearby bushes, approximately 200 meters from where he had last been seen by his mother.
Investigation findings
Forensic investigators later confirmed that Zayn had been murdered. Evidence indicated he was believed to have been strangled, based on injuries to his neck, and he also had injuries consistent with self-defense. No signs of abuse were detected on his body. Following these findings, police established a special task force to investigate the case. Zayn's body was buried on December 7, 2023, following the post-mortem examination.
Investigators noted that the area where his body was discovered had reportedly been searched multiple times earlier by search parties without the body being found, leading police to speculate that Zayn was killed elsewhere and his body was later moved to the discovery site. Subsequent investigations continued in the surrounding area in an effort to locate additional evidence. Early in the investigation, authorities suggested that only one suspect was believed to be involved.
Arrests and further inquiries
On May 31, 2024, at 10:05 am, Zayn's parents were arrested in Puncak Alam and remanded until June 7, 2024, to assist with the ongoing investigation. On June 3, 2024, at 1:58 pm, three additional individuals — including Zayn's former babysitter — were called to the Petaling Jaya police headquarters to assist with the inquiry.
As of the available reporting, the case record does not indicate that any individual has been formally charged or convicted in connection with Zayn's death; the parents' arrest was described as being for the purpose of assisting the investigation.
5 dated entries · 2023–2024
Zayn Rayyan bin Abdul Matiin, a six-year-old with autism, reported missing at 6:36 pm after last being seen in Damansara Damai, Selangor.
Search and rescue effort involving police and hundreds of residents; Zayn found dead near a riverbank in nearby bushes that night, about 200 meters from where he was last seen.
Zayn's body buried following post-mortem examination; forensic findings indicated strangulation and self-defense injuries, with no signs of abuse.
Zayn's parents arrested in Puncak Alam at 10:05 am and remanded until June 7 to assist the investigation.
Three individuals, including Zayn's former babysitter, called to Petaling Jaya police headquarters at 1:58 pm to assist with the investigation.
1 named in this file
Victims first. Every legal label is set from public records and court outcomes, not from the prose.
Six-year-old child with autism who was found dead near a riverbank in Damansara Damai, Selangor, and later confirmed to have been murdered.[3]
3 cited
Coverage is not a source: every fact in this file rests on the records below.
Pressbharian.com.myAccessed Jul 7, 2026
Presssinarharian.com.myAccessed Jul 7, 2026
EncyclopedicWikipediaAccessed Jul 7, 2026
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