Murder of Wayan Mirna Salihin

Last updated

Wayan Mirna Salihin
Born(1988-03-30)30 March 1988
Jakarta, Indonesia
Died6 January 2016(2016-01-06) (aged 27)
Jakarta, Indonesia
Cause of death Cyanide poisoning (contentious)
Occupation
  • Graphic designer
Known for Murder victim
Spouse
Arief Soemarko
​
(m. 2015)​

On 6 January 2016, Wayan Mirna Salihin died in Abdi Waluyo Hospital after drinking a Vietnamese iced coffee at the Olivier Cafe in the Grand Indonesia shopping mall in Jakarta. [1] According to the police, cyanide poisoning was most likely the cause of Mirna's death. Police charged Jessica Kumala Wongso with her murder. Jessica was found guilty of the murder and was sentenced to 20 years. Jessica's appeal was later rejected by the higher court. [2] [3]

Contents

The case became the most famous and phenomenal murder case in 2016 in Indonesia, with the Indonesian media covering the case extensively. The ruling of the case was televised on national television and watched by millions of Indonesians. [2]

Background

Born in 1988, Mirna Salihin was the daughter of Edi Darmawan Salihin, a businessman, and Ni Ketut Sianti. [4] [5] She had just recently married Arief Soemarko weeks before her death. [6]

Murder investigation

At 3:33 p.m. on 6 January 2016, 27-year-old Jessica Kumala Wongso arrived at Grand Indonesia shopping mall in Jakarta to meet her friends at 5 p.m., including Salihin. [1] After making a reservation at the Olivier Cafe and doing some shopping, Wongso returned to the cafe at 4:14 p.m. and ordered drinks, including the Vietnamese iced coffee that allegedly killed Salihin. [4] Wongso waited until Salihin arrived at 5:16 p.m. and during this time the drinks were hidden from the view of the security camera with shopping bags Wongso had placed on the table. [7] Soon after arriving, Salihin took a sip of the coffee and started having seizure-like symptoms. [1] Arief Soemarko, her husband, rushed her by car to Abdi Waluyo Hospital in Menteng, Central Jakarta, where she was later pronounced dead at 6:30 p.m. [4]

According to the autopsy conducted at Kramat Jati Police Hospital on 10 January, evidence of bleeding was found in Salihin's stomach. [4] The police claimed that cyanide was found both in the coffee Salihin drank as well as in her stomach, but samples taken 70 minutes after her death showed no signs of cyanide. [2]

On 30 January 2016, Wongso, a former permanent resident of Australia, was charged with the premeditated murder of Wayan Mirna Salihin and was taken into police custody pending trial. The Australian Federal Police handed over confidential files regarding Wongso's psychological state, amongst them a restraining order against her made by an ex-boyfriend, to Indonesian authorities. [7] Wongso's lawyer Yudi Wibowo denied her client's involvement in Salihin's death. [7]

Trial, verdict, and appeal

The trial began on 15 June 2016, approximately a month after Jessica Kumala Wongso was named a suspect. The nearly 5 month (135-day) trial was broadcast live and became a national spectacle.

On 28 September, Salihin's twin, Sandy, said that Wongso sent her news about poison after Salihin's death. [8] Wongso said that she was confused about what happened to Salihin and stated that she did not suspect anyone. [8] Her colleague, Kristie Louise Charter, stated in court that Wongso has two personalities which contrast with each other and added that she was used to manipulating people to gain sympathy and would be very angry if the attention could not be gained. [9]

On 27 October, Wongso was found guilty of the murder of Wayan Mirna Salihin by putting cyanide poison into her coffee and was sentenced to 20 years in prison. [10]

The Jakarta Post said that "In line with the indictment, the judges concluded that Jessica murdered Mirna in revenge for previously telling Jessica to break up with Patrick O'Connor, her former Australian boyfriend." [11]

After a lengthy appeal first being rejected at The Jakarta High court and then again in the Supreme Court presided over by Judges Artidjo Alkostar, Salman Luthan and Sumardiyatmo unanimously turned down Jessica's cassation appeal. "[We] reject the cassation," said the Supreme Court spokesman Suhadi as quoted by tribunnews.com . [3]

On 18 August 2024, after approximately serving for 8 years in detention, Jessica Kumala Wongso was released on parole. [12]

Documentary film

Netflix's documentary, Ice Cold: Murder, Coffee and Jessica Wongso , [13] aired on 28 September 2023. The film features live and exclusive interviews with Jessica as well as several other interviewees, namely Mirna's father and twin sister, Jessica's lawyer, and journalists who explored the case. The documentary was produced by Beach House Pictures, one of Asia's largest independent production houses. [14] CNN Indonesia reviewed the documentary as "provocative," which may create uproar, especially due to the film's depiction of the Indonesian justice system that has gained public scrutiny in recent years. [15]

Related Research Articles

The Chicago Tylenol murders were a series of poisoning deaths resulting from drug tampering in the Chicago metropolitan area in 1982. The victims consumed Tylenol-branded acetaminophen capsules that had been laced with potassium cyanide. Seven people died in the original poisonings, and there were several more deaths in subsequent copycat crimes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Munir Said Thalib</span> Indonesian human rights activist (1965–2004)

Munir Said Thalib was an Indonesian activist. Founder of the Kontras human rights organisation and laureate of the 2000 Right Livelihood Award, Munir was assassinated in 2004 while travelling to Utrecht University to pursue a master's degree in international law and human rights. He is one of Indonesia's most famous human rights and anti-corruption activists.

Pollycarpus Budihari Priyanto was an Indonesian pilot for Garuda Indonesia airline and an alleged agent of Indonesia's State Intelligence Agency (BIN). He was involved in the murder of human rights activist Munir Said Thalib with arsenic on 7 September 2004.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ronald Clark O'Bryan</span> American murderer

Ronald Clark O'Bryan, nicknamed The Candy Man and The Man Who Killed Halloween, was an American man convicted of killing his eight-year-old son Timothy on Halloween 1974 with a potassium cyanide-laced Pixy Stix that was ostensibly collected during a trick or treat outing. O'Bryan poisoned his son in order to claim life insurance money to ease his own financial troubles, as he was $100,000 in debt. O'Bryan also distributed poisoned candy to his daughter and three other children in an attempt to cover up his crime; however, neither his daughter nor the other children ate the poisoned candy. He was convicted of capital murder in June 1975 and sentenced to death. He was executed by lethal injection in March 1984.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cyanide poisoning</span> Broad-spectrum poisoning

Cyanide poisoning is poisoning that results from exposure to any of a number of forms of cyanide. Early symptoms include headache, dizziness, fast heart rate, shortness of breath, and vomiting. This phase may then be followed by seizures, slow heart rate, low blood pressure, loss of consciousness, and cardiac arrest. Onset of symptoms usually occurs within a few minutes. Some survivors have long-term neurological problems.

Lethal Vows is a 1999 made-for-television American drama film based on the events which led to the trial and conviction of Richard K. Overton for the poisoning death of his third wife, Janet Overton. Starring John Ritter, Marg Helgenberger and Megan Gallagher, the movie premiered October 13, 1999, on CBS.

Blasphemy law in Indonesia is the legislation, presidential decrees, and ministerial directives that prohibit blasphemy in Indonesia.

<i>Pah Wongso Pendekar Boediman</i> 1941 Dutch East Indies film

Pah Wongso Pendekar Boediman is a 1941 detective film from the Dutch East Indies. The first production by Star Film, it was produced by Jo Eng Sek and features camerawork by Cho' Chin Hsin. Starring Pah Wongso, Elly Joenara and Mohamad Arief, it follows the social worker Pah Wongso as he investigates a murder to clear his protégé's name.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pah Wongso</span> Dutch social worker and educator

Louis Victor Wijnhamer, better known as Pah Wongso, was an Indo social worker popular within the ethnic Chinese community of the Dutch East Indies, and subsequently Indonesia. Educated in Semarang and Surabaya, Pah Wongso began his social work in the early 1930s, using traditional arts such as wayang golek to promote such causes as monogamy and abstinence. By 1938, he had established a school for the poor, and was raising money for the Red Cross to send aid to China.

Mohamad, Ardyan (2016-03-31). "Filipina tolak TNI ikut bebaskan WNI disandera Abu Sayyaf". merdeka.com. Retrieved 2023-05-25.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2016 Samarinda church bombing</span> Terrorist attack in Indonesia

A terrorist attack occurred on November 13, 2016 when a man named Juhanda detonated a Molotov bomb in front of Oikumene Church in Samarinda Seberang, Samarinda, East Kalimantan, Indonesia, where children were playing. A toddler was killed in the incident and three other toddlers were injured. In September 2017, Juhanda and four others were convicted of the attack, with Juhanda sentenced to life imprisonment, while the others received sentences ranging from six to seven years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Murder of Jessica Heeringa</span> 2013 disappearance and murder case in Michigan, U.S.

Jessica Lynn Heeringa was a 25-year-old woman from Norton Shores, Michigan, who disappeared in the Exxon gas station where she was working the late shift on April 26, 2013.

2017 (MMXVII) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar, the 2017th year of the Common Era (CE) and Anno Domini (AD) designations, the 17th year of the 3rd millennium and the 21st century, and the 8th year of the 2010s decade.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Syahrul Yasin Limpo</span> Indonesian politician (born 1955)

Syahrul Yasin Limpo is an Indonesian politician, who served as Minister of Agriculture in Joko Widodo's Onward Cabinet from October 2019 until the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) announced his involvement in alleged corruption in September 2023. He was governor of South Sulawesi from 2008 to 2018.

Organised crime in Indonesia refers to planned crimes in Indonesia that could be perpetrated by either a political party or Indonesian gangs, also referred to as preman. The illegal activities may include corruption, cybercrime, money laundering, violence, felonies, extortion, racketeering and drug trafficking.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Koodathayi cyanide killings</span> Six murders in Kerala, India, over 14 years

The Koodathayi cyanide killings were a series of unnatural deaths which were later regarded as murders, that occurred in Koodathayi in Kerala, India. The crimes were investigated in late 2019, involving the mystery of 6 deaths over a span of 14 years. The criminal cases drew considerable media and public interest to Kerala, and eventually led to the arrest of Jolly Joseph.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Murder of Nofriansyah Yosua Hutabarat</span> 2022 police killing

The murder of Nofriansyah Yosua Hutabarat, a 27-year-old Indonesian National Police officer, occurred on 8 July 2022 in Jakarta. The ensuing investigation included allegations of an affair, missing CCTV footage, and an attempted cover-up. The chairman of Indonesia Police Watch described the events as "the worst scandal in the police's history".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ferdy Sambo</span> Former Indonesian police general (born 1973)

Ferdy Sambo is a former high-ranking Indonesian National Police officer who last served as the Head of the Profession and Security Division of the Indonesian National Police with the rank of Inspector General of Police. He is known for his involvement in the murder of his aide-de-camp, Nofriansyah Yosua Hutabarat. He was described as the "mastermind" of the killing, in which Hutabarat was shot 12 times with a Glock 17.

<i>Ice Cold: Murder, Coffee and Jessica Wongso</i> 2023 documentary film by Rob Sixsmith

Ice Cold: Murder, Coffee and Jessica Wongso is a 2023 Indonesian-Singaporean true crime documentary film directed by Rob Sixsmith about the 2016 murder of Wayan Mirna Salihin, which was allegedly perpetrated by her friend Jessica Kumala Wongso. With Wongso imprisoned, the film focuses on the people surrounding the case: Salihin's family members, Wongso's defense, the trial's public prosecutors, as well as witnesses, experts, and journalists, presenting their stances and arguments, while commenting on the nature of Indonesia's criminal justice system which those opposing Wongso's conviction deemed flawed.

Otto Hasibuan is an Indonesian lawyer and businessman. He is known for being Jessica Kumala Wongso's lawyer in the Murder of Wayan Mirna Salihin's case and as Setya Novanto's attorney in his electronic ID card (E-KTP) corruption scandal.

References

  1. 1 2 3 fathiyah, Alia (3 February 2016). "WhatsApp Jessica: Mir, Mau Dong Dicium Sama Elo". Tempo. Retrieved 25 May 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 Palin, Megan (5 February 2016). "Accused 'coffee killer' lives in Australia". NewsComAu. Retrieved 1 June 2016.
  3. 1 2 "Supreme Court rejects appeal of cyanide-coffee case convict". The Jakarta Post. 11 January 2018. Retrieved 11 January 2018.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Safitri, Inge Klara (10 January 2016). "Meninggal Setelah Ngopi, Ini Hasil Otopsi Mirna". Tempo. Retrieved 25 May 2021.
  5. ↑ Tarigan, Kartika S. "Ibu Mirna ke Jessica Wongso: Pintu Maaf Sudah Tertutup!". detiknews (in Indonesian). Retrieved 1 October 2023.
  6. ↑ "Indonesia 'coffee killer' trial: Jessica Wongso found guilty of murder". BBC News. 27 October 2016. Retrieved 26 June 2022.
  7. 1 2 3 Harvey, Adam (28 February 2016). "Australian resident accused of cyanide-poisoning murder in Indonesia". ABC News. Retrieved 1 June 2016.
  8. 1 2 Atriana, Rina. "Jessica Pernah Kirim Link Berita Tentang Racun ke Kembaran Mirna". detiknews (in Indonesian). Retrieved 13 October 2023.
  9. ↑ Atriana, Rina. "Rekan Kerja di Australia Sebut Jessica Wongso Punya 2 Kepribadian". detiknews (in Indonesian). Retrieved 13 October 2023.
  10. ↑ Budiari, Indra (27 October 2016). "Guilty or not, Jessica to face Verdict". The Jakarta Post. Retrieved 11 January 2018.
  11. ↑ Wijaya, Callistasia Anggun (27 October 2016). "BREAKING NEWS: Judges sentence Jessica to 20 years in prison". The Jakarta Post. Retrieved 14 December 2020.
  12. ↑ Situmorang, Hendro. "Murder Convict Jessica Wongso Released on Parole". Jakarta Globe. Retrieved 19 August 2024.
  13. ↑ "Watch Ice Cold: Murder, Coffee and Jessica Wongso | Netflix Official Site". www.netflix.com. Retrieved 1 October 2023.
  14. ↑ Nurhadi (30 September 2023). "Kilas Balik Kasus Kopi Sianida Jessica Wongso yang Sudah Tayang di Netflix". Tempo. Retrieved 1 October 2023.
  15. ↑ Priherdityo, Endro. "Review Film: Ice Cold: Murder, Coffee, and Jessica Wongso". hiburan (in Indonesian). Retrieved 13 October 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.