Police on Wednesday confirmed a body found buried in the backyard of serial murder suspect Verry "Ryan" Idam Hermansyah's house in Jombang, East Java, was not that of a Dutch citizen, but of an Indonesian citizen.
The body of the deceased, identified as Grendy, was one of 10 bodies found at the site. A police autopsy initially identified Grendy as a Caucasian male, as confirmed by his dental and skeletal structure.
However, East Java Police chief Insp. Gen. Herman S. Sumawiredja said the initial conclusion was erroneous. He said Grendy was not a foreign citizen but an Indonesian from Manado, North Sulawesi, with the family name Tambunan.
"Grendy was probably born from a mixed marriage between an Indonesian and a foreign citizen," Herman said, adding police could not yet fully ascertain his identity because no family members or acquaintances had filed a missing persons report.
The multiple murders were uncovered after police arrested 30-year-old Ryan for allegedly killing and mutilating Heri Santoso, 40, at Margonda Garden Residence in Depok, West Java, on July 11.
Parts of Heri's body were dumped in Ragunan, South Jakarta. Police arrested Ryan four days later in his apartment.
The motive behind Heri's murder is believed to be jealousy, with police alleging Ryan "intended to confiscate the victim's wealth".
Police also believe there may be up to six more bodies buried in Ryan's backyard. Excavation of the area will continue Thursday, with the suspect brought back to Jombang to aid in investigations. If confirmed, this would bring the total number of people allegedly killed by Ryan to 17.
Jombang Police chief Adj. Comr. Kasiyanto said police had marked out six spots in the backyard where the bodies were suspected to be buried.
"There are putrid smells originating from these spots, but we haven't received a go-ahead from the East Java Police to continue digging," he told The Jakarta Post in a phone interview.
National Police psychiatrist Adj. Comr. Rini Wowor said she had interviewed Ryan to ascertain whether he was mentally disabled or psychopathic.
"We are still conducting psychological tests. So far, Ryan is polite and shows no signs of a split personality," she said.
