Indonesian police accuse man of killing mother-in-law with poison-laced satay delivered by courier

Police in Boyolali, Central Java, have detained a 40-year-old man accused of poisoning his mother-in-law using satay that authorities say was treated with toxic chemicals, leading to her death in May, according to reports citing investigators.

The BBC reported that police allege Purwadi Wahyudi ordered chicken skewers on May 18, dipped them in toxic chemicals, and sent them by courier to the home of the alleged victim, Aminah, described as 57. Police said he told investigators the killing was connected to his claim that he felt disrespected by the woman.

According to the reports, detectives learned that Aminah received a delivery of chicken satay from an unknown person the day before her body was discovered. Her youngest daughter, Luriyanti Putri, told investigators that it was not from her and that she had warned her mother not to eat the food. Police later said the case involved additional deception aimed at shifting suspicion.

BBC reporting said Purwadi allegedly tried to frame a relative by pretending to be Putri on a delivery application, including using her name and photograph in the account details. Other reporting from The Star said investigators told journalists that he also used the courier system to have the satay delivered, and that the courier driver became suspicious after being led to expect a woman as the sender.

Investigators said Aminah’s body was found covered in vomit at her home the following day. The Star reported that family members contacted police after Aminah was buried and they believed the death was not natural. BBC reporting added that her body was exhumed and forensic testing found signs consistent with poisoning in most of her major organs and traces of toxic chemicals.

Police have described the scheme as planned, and reports say prosecutors or investigators are still working through the procedural steps required to bring formal charges. The BBC said Purwadi had been made a suspect and was being held, but he had not been formally charged with murder at the time of the report. In Indonesia, murder carries the death penalty or a prison term of at least 20 years, depending on conviction and sentencing determinations.

The Star reported that police held a press conference on June 8 and that Purwadi admitted to buying chicken satay and mixing it with rat poison, as quoted by local media. The Star also reported that investigators tested samples, including material linked to the vomit residue, the skewers used for the satay, and a suspected contaminated chicken.

The case now turns on the prosecution’s ability to establish intent and causation, using forensic results, delivery-platform records, and testimony from the courier driver and family members. Police have said the investigation was prompted by family suspicions after a non-natural death, and the next stage is expected to be formal charging decisions and eventual court proceedings if prosecutors file a case for trial.