The man who is believed to have killed then dismembered his transgender wife in an horrific murder-suicide in a Brisbane apartment was secretly working as a male prostitute, it has emerged.
Friends revealed the truth about Marcus Volke's double life and also criticised a Brisbane newspaper for its portrayal of victim Mayang Prasetyo.
Interior designer Alex Devantier, who knew the couple well, told Daily Mail Australia Volke had never worked as a chef but used it as a cover story to avoid telling his family and close friends the truth about his life as Heath the male prostitute.
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Friends have revealed Marcus Volke (pictured here with Mayang Prasetyo) was a male prostitute, not a chef as previously reported
Mayang Prasetyo was found dismembered in a Brisbane apartment she shared with her husband on Saturday
Parts of Ms Prasetyo's body were found strewn across the couple's new Teneriffe apartment
Ms Prasetyo, 27, was described as 'happy, cheerful person' and an 'angel' by friends.
Mr Devantier said that the front page headline featuring the term 'shemale' was extremely offensive to both her and the transgender community.
He asked The Courier Mail to donate profits from Tuesday's edition to the Gender Centre - a not-for-profit which raises awareness of transgender issues - and Ms Prasetyo's family.
It comes as Queensland detectives appealed for friends and associates of the couple to come forward as police continue their investigation into the murder-suicide.
'We would like to make an appeal for anyone who may have known the couple - either individually or together, to contact police,' Detective Senior Sergeant Tom Armitt said.
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'As part of our investigation, we would like to speak to either close friends or other associates of the pair - we would like to know the nature of their relationship with the couple, and gather information about how the couple interacted.
'This information is important in order to present a background about the pair's relationship and its dynamic to the Queensland Coroner.'
Three days ago, parts of Ms Prasetyo's body were found strewn across the couple's Teneriffe apartment in Brisbane's inner-city, with some cooking in chemicals on a stove.
Police arrived at the couple's home after receiving reports from neighbours about a bad smell coming from the Commercial Road apartment on Saturday night, just weeks after they had moved to the Queensland capital.
Volke fled the scene and was later found in an industrial bin with his throat cut in nearby Dath Street.
It has also been revealed Ms Prasetyo travelled as a man named Febri Andriansyah on an Indonesian passport.
Marcus Peter Volke, 28, slit his own throat as he fled the Brisbane apartment where he is believed to have dismembered his Indonesian wife
The 27-year-old was known as Febri Andriansyah, according to her Indonesian passport
Interior designer Alex Devantier said Volke and Ms Prasetyo married in Europe in August 2013
Ms Prasetyo was apparently just months away from having an operation to become a woman
Volke and Ms Prasetyo met in 2009 while working at Melbourne brothel Pleasure Dome
Ms Prasetyo is originally from Denpasar in Bali - the Indonesian holiday island - according to her Facebook page
Media outlets have previously reported Volke was a chef who met Ms Prasetyo on an international cruise ship.
'They were leading double lives because of the lives they were leading,' Mr Devantier said.
'Marcus wouldn't even tell his closest friends of the life he was leading.
'They lied to their families, so their families didn't realise what they were actually doing.'
In an online advertisement under the name Heath XL, Volke describes himself as a 'young sexy Australian boy, very friendly and easy going'.
The ad went onto to say: 'I can be your companion for an hour or as long as u want, for a dinner, a hot session, holidays or more'.
Media outlets have previously reported the 28-year-old was a chef and had met Ms Prasetyo on an international cruise ship
But Mr Devantier - who was close to the couple - has revealed Volke was a male prostitute
He worked under the name Heath and was registered as a private escort in Melbourne
Mr Devantier met Volke and Ms Prasetyo - who were married in Europe in August 2013 - four years ago in Melbourne and introduced them.
He said the pair worked at Melbourne brothel Pleasure Dome in 2009 and were employed there as escorts for about two months.
'Mayang left the agency because she was so popular that all the other transsexuals hated her and that's why she asked me to build her own website to get away from those who were jealous of her achievements,' Mr Devantier said.
'They both went into private escorting. I actually helped Marcus register as a private escort in Melbourne and then with his advertising.'
Mr Devantier, from Townsville, said he was in shock over the tragedy.
'I still don't believe he [Volke] did it. I can't believe he did it. If he did do it, sometimes you can't judge it, you can't pick it,' Mr Devantier said.
'They were a loving and beautiful couple, and never a bad word from either of them about each other.
'I looked after Mayang's escort website and I was in communication with her all the time.
'There was never any hostility towards each other.'
Queensland Police removed a toxic-labelled container on Monday, following the discovery of Ms Prasetyo's body parts found boiling in chemicals in a Brisbane apartment on Saturday night
Emergency services remove her body from the DoubleOne 3 Apartments in Commercial Road
Queensland Police made the grisly discovery of a woman's body parts just after 9pm on Saturday night
Officers have spent Saturday night at the two crime scenes trying to find out what led to the tragedy
Mr Devantier and Ms Prasetyo's other friends have called on The Courier Mail to donate its profits from Tuesday's edition which labelled the transgender escort as a 'bokep thailand shemale'.
When he saw the front page of the News Corp newspaper, Mr Devantier said he was disgusted.
He has asked for the donation to be made to the Gender Centre, which helps raise awareness of transgender, issues and Ms Prasetyo's family back in Indonesia for her funeral costs.
'We need to make the community aware of the difference between a post-op and pre-op transgender person, a transvestite, a cross dresser, et cetera,' he said.
'[Ms Prasetyo's] family have just lost their sole source of income and money for putting the family's second eldest and third eldest child - both girls - through high school and that was who she was to them, the breadwinner.'
Mr Devantier also urged people to a sign a change.org petition asking for The Courier Mail to 'publicly apologise for articles relating to Mayang Prasetyo'.
At the time of publication, the petition had amassed more than 15,000 signatures.
Mr Devantier said Ms Prasetyo - who was a pre-operation transsexual - was months away from becoming a woman anatomically.
'She said she knew from 10 years old that she believed she was a woman and I believe she was not far from her goal - it would have been months,' he said.
The grisly death is being treated as a murder-suicide after Volke fled the scene and was later found in an industrial bin with his throat cut
Ms Prasetyo's remains were found at an apartment on Commercial Road and Volke's body was found on Dath Street
Friends revealed the truth about Marcus Volke's double life and also criticised a Brisbane newspaper for its portrayal of victim Mayang Prasetyo.
Interior designer Alex Devantier, who knew the couple well, told Daily Mail Australia Volke had never worked as a chef but used it as a cover story to avoid telling his family and close friends the truth about his life as Heath the male prostitute.
Scroll down for video
Friends have revealed Marcus Volke (pictured here with Mayang Prasetyo) was a male prostitute, not a chef as previously reported
Mayang Prasetyo was found dismembered in a Brisbane apartment she shared with her husband on Saturday
Parts of Ms Prasetyo's body were found strewn across the couple's new Teneriffe apartment
Ms Prasetyo, 27, was described as 'happy, cheerful person' and an 'angel' by friends.
Mr Devantier said that the front page headline featuring the term 'shemale' was extremely offensive to both her and the transgender community.
He asked The Courier Mail to donate profits from Tuesday's edition to the Gender Centre - a not-for-profit which raises awareness of transgender issues - and Ms Prasetyo's family.
It comes as Queensland detectives appealed for friends and associates of the couple to come forward as police continue their investigation into the murder-suicide.
'We would like to make an appeal for anyone who may have known the couple - either individually or together, to contact police,' Detective Senior Sergeant Tom Armitt said.
RELATED ARTICLES
Previous
1
Next
'There is not a cell in my body that is suicidal': Fearless... You should have grabbed the phone NOT your gun: Panel beater...
Share this article
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'As part of our investigation, we would like to speak to either close friends or other associates of the pair - we would like to know the nature of their relationship with the couple, and gather information about how the couple interacted.
'This information is important in order to present a background about the pair's relationship and its dynamic to the Queensland Coroner.'
Three days ago, parts of Ms Prasetyo's body were found strewn across the couple's Teneriffe apartment in Brisbane's inner-city, with some cooking in chemicals on a stove.
Police arrived at the couple's home after receiving reports from neighbours about a bad smell coming from the Commercial Road apartment on Saturday night, just weeks after they had moved to the Queensland capital.
Volke fled the scene and was later found in an industrial bin with his throat cut in nearby Dath Street.
It has also been revealed Ms Prasetyo travelled as a man named Febri Andriansyah on an Indonesian passport.
Marcus Peter Volke, 28, slit his own throat as he fled the Brisbane apartment where he is believed to have dismembered his Indonesian wife
The 27-year-old was known as Febri Andriansyah, according to her Indonesian passport
Interior designer Alex Devantier said Volke and Ms Prasetyo married in Europe in August 2013
Ms Prasetyo was apparently just months away from having an operation to become a woman
Volke and Ms Prasetyo met in 2009 while working at Melbourne brothel Pleasure Dome
Ms Prasetyo is originally from Denpasar in Bali - the Indonesian holiday island - according to her Facebook page
Media outlets have previously reported Volke was a chef who met Ms Prasetyo on an international cruise ship.
'They were leading double lives because of the lives they were leading,' Mr Devantier said.
'Marcus wouldn't even tell his closest friends of the life he was leading.
'They lied to their families, so their families didn't realise what they were actually doing.'
In an online advertisement under the name Heath XL, Volke describes himself as a 'young sexy Australian boy, very friendly and easy going'.
The ad went onto to say: 'I can be your companion for an hour or as long as u want, for a dinner, a hot session, holidays or more'.
Media outlets have previously reported the 28-year-old was a chef and had met Ms Prasetyo on an international cruise ship
But Mr Devantier - who was close to the couple - has revealed Volke was a male prostitute
He worked under the name Heath and was registered as a private escort in Melbourne
Mr Devantier met Volke and Ms Prasetyo - who were married in Europe in August 2013 - four years ago in Melbourne and introduced them.
He said the pair worked at Melbourne brothel Pleasure Dome in 2009 and were employed there as escorts for about two months.
'Mayang left the agency because she was so popular that all the other transsexuals hated her and that's why she asked me to build her own website to get away from those who were jealous of her achievements,' Mr Devantier said.
'They both went into private escorting. I actually helped Marcus register as a private escort in Melbourne and then with his advertising.'
Mr Devantier, from Townsville, said he was in shock over the tragedy.
'I still don't believe he [Volke] did it. I can't believe he did it. If he did do it, sometimes you can't judge it, you can't pick it,' Mr Devantier said.
'They were a loving and beautiful couple, and never a bad word from either of them about each other.
'I looked after Mayang's escort website and I was in communication with her all the time.
'There was never any hostility towards each other.'
Queensland Police removed a toxic-labelled container on Monday, following the discovery of Ms Prasetyo's body parts found boiling in chemicals in a Brisbane apartment on Saturday night
Emergency services remove her body from the DoubleOne 3 Apartments in Commercial Road
Queensland Police made the grisly discovery of a woman's body parts just after 9pm on Saturday night
Officers have spent Saturday night at the two crime scenes trying to find out what led to the tragedy
Mr Devantier and Ms Prasetyo's other friends have called on The Courier Mail to donate its profits from Tuesday's edition which labelled the transgender escort as a 'bokep thailand shemale'.
When he saw the front page of the News Corp newspaper, Mr Devantier said he was disgusted.
He has asked for the donation to be made to the Gender Centre, which helps raise awareness of transgender, issues and Ms Prasetyo's family back in Indonesia for her funeral costs.
'We need to make the community aware of the difference between a post-op and pre-op transgender person, a transvestite, a cross dresser, et cetera,' he said.
'[Ms Prasetyo's] family have just lost their sole source of income and money for putting the family's second eldest and third eldest child - both girls - through high school and that was who she was to them, the breadwinner.'
Mr Devantier also urged people to a sign a change.org petition asking for The Courier Mail to 'publicly apologise for articles relating to Mayang Prasetyo'.
At the time of publication, the petition had amassed more than 15,000 signatures.
Mr Devantier said Ms Prasetyo - who was a pre-operation transsexual - was months away from becoming a woman anatomically.
'She said she knew from 10 years old that she believed she was a woman and I believe she was not far from her goal - it would have been months,' he said.
The grisly death is being treated as a murder-suicide after Volke fled the scene and was later found in an industrial bin with his throat cut
Ms Prasetyo's remains were found at an apartment on Commercial Road and Volke's body was found on Dath Street