Indonesian man charged after mother-in-law dies from poisoned satay in Central Java

Indonesian police have charged a 40-year-old man with the alleged premeditated murder of his mother-in-law after investigators concluded she died from poisoning caused by toxic substances mixed into a chicken satay meal delivered to her home in Boyolali, Central Java, authorities said on Monday.

The suspect, identified as Purwadi Wahyudi (PW), was named a suspect after initially being questioned as a witness in the case, which drew widespread public attention in Ngemplak district after the victim, identified as Aminah, died shortly after consuming the food.

According to Boyolali Police Chief AKBP Indra Maulana Saputra, the incident came to light on 19 May 2026, at around 7 a.m. local time when the victim’s daughter, Luriyanti Putri (LP), arrived at her mother's house to leave her child in the victim’s care.

Upon arrival, LP found the house locked and the lights still on. After receiving no response despite repeated calls, she asked a witness identified as BF to look through a ventilation opening.

BF saw the victim lying on the floor near a chair in the living room.

“Then witness BF asked for assistance from witness M and searched for a screwdriver to pry open the door,” Indra said.

After entering the house, the witnesses found the victim lying on her back on the floor. Food vomit was visible around her mouth and on the front of her clothing. Witness M examined the victim and declared her dead.

Family members became suspicious after recalling that the victim had previously mentioned receiving a delivery of chicken satay from an unknown sender. A report was subsequently filed with Boyolali Police.

Investigation and exhumation

Although the victim had already been buried, suspicions persisted.

A witness identified as A searched around the victim’s home and found several used satay skewers among rubbish piles. Another witness, AS, a neighbour, found chickens near the victim’s coop that had died.

Based on those findings, investigators from Boyolali Police and the Central Java Police medical team exhumed the victim’s body and conducted an autopsy on 30 May.

Police said the autopsy revealed swelling and the presence of red blood cells outside blood vessels in the brain, lungs, heart, spleen and liver, findings consistent with poisoning.

Laboratory examinations conducted by the Central Java Police Forensic Laboratory further supported those findings.

“From organ samples obtained during the exhumation and evidence collected at the crime scene, criminalistic laboratory and forensic toxicology examinations confirmed the presence of toxic chemical compounds,” Indra said.

Separately, Indra told reporters during a press conference that forensic examinations, autopsy results and laboratory tests identified rat poison in the victim’s body.

“The forensic results, autopsy and laboratory examinations by Central Java Police found rat poison substances in the victim's body. This was the basis for concluding that the victim died,” he said.

Suspect allegedly arranged satay delivery

Police said investigators employed Scientific Crime Investigation (SCI) methods and questioned 13 witnesses during the investigation.

The inquiry ultimately led investigators to PW, the victim’s son-in-law.

According to police, PW sent the satay to the victim on 18 May 2026, at around 6:16 p.m. through the Gosend delivery service. The order was placed using an account registered under the name “Luriyanti Putri” and was received directly by the victim.

Investigators said the collection point for the satay was near a satay stall in Pandeyan village, Ngemplak district, not far from the residence of LP, who is also the suspect’s sister-in-law.

Police said PW used LP’s name and profile photograph on the delivery account and instructed the driver to tell the recipient that the satay had been sent by “Mbak’e” and to send confirmation and photographs once the package had been delivered.

A delivery driver identified as AM reportedly became suspicious because the sender was a man rather than a woman matching the account name. When questioned, police said the suspect claimed to be the victim’s child.

Alleged attempt to create false trail

Further testimony from a satay seller identified as MM revealed that all satay sold at the stall was normally packed in transparent white plastic bags.

However, the satay handed by the suspect to the delivery driver was packed in a black plastic bag.

Investigators later determined that the suspect had purchased the chicken satay and rice cakes from a Madura satay stall in Kartasura rather than from the Pandeyan stall.

Police allege the suspect deliberately changed the packaging to create an alibi and divert suspicion toward LP if problems arose after the delivery.

Investigators also found that the suspect had never previously sent food to the victim.

“The suspect added poison to the satay by dripping it through an opening at the top of the satay package while travelling from Kartasura to Pandeyan village, which was the meeting point with the Gosend driver,” Indra said.

According to police, PW admitted purchasing the satay, mixing it with rat poison and arranging its delivery through the Gojek courier service.

“Previously, the perpetrator admitted buying the satay and sending it to the victim. He then mixed it with rat poison and used the application service to deliver the satay to the deceased’s residence,” Indra said.

Police said the suspect told investigators he acted because he felt hurt by remarks made by the victim and believed she never acknowledged or respected him.

PW has been charged under Articles 458(1) and 459 of Indonesia’s Criminal Code Law No. 1 of 2023 relating to premeditated murder.

If convicted, he faces the death penalty, life imprisonment, or a maximum prison sentence of 20 years.

Police said investigators seized multiple pieces of evidence, including clothing worn by the victim that contained traces of vomit, a chicken carcass recovered from the victim’s coop, 12 satay skewers, screenshots of Gosend transactions, a USB flash drive containing audio recordings, the victim’s Samsung Galaxy A04e mobile phone, the suspect’s Redmi Note 8 mobile phone and a Honda Scoopy motorcycle.