TheJakartaPost

Please Update your browser

Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.

Jakarta Post

Court sentences Ryan to death

A Depok court convicted Very Idham Henyansyah, aka "Ryan" bin Ahmad, of manslaughter among other charges Monday and sentenced him to death for the murder of 40-year old Heri Santoso

(The Jakarta Post)
Tue, April 7, 2009

Share This Article

Change Size


Court sentences Ryan to death

A

Depok court convicted Very Idham Henyansyah, aka "Ryan" bin Ahmad, of manslaughter among other charges Monday and sentenced him to death for the murder of 40-year old Heri Santoso.

In July 2008, Heri's dismembered body was found in seven parts scattered across Ragunan, South Jakarta.

The verdict hearing at Depok District Court, West Java, started several hours behind schedule but eventually presiding judge Suwidya stated there were no mitigating factors for the crime as Ryan committed the sadistic murder consciously and showed no remorse at any point during his trial.

"The defendant's crime was beyond cruelty," Suwidya said when reading out the verdict. He said that the horrific nature of the crime served as an aggravating factor and added that Ryan continued to pose a threat to society.

Ryan smiled upon arriving at the state court, posing for the press and appearing to enjoy the attention. He continued to smile, somewhat coldly, when the verdict was read out and glowed when photographers began snapping pictures of him and journalists barraged him with questions.

Police investigations revealed that the murder had been carefully planned, with Ryan borrowing a knife from the cafeteria in Margonda Residence, the apartment block where the crime took place.

Novel Andrias, the defendant's ex-boyfriend, testified however that the weapons used in the crime - a knife and an iron bar - were never found at the crime scene.

"The judges were aware of the pros and cons of the death penalty, but the fact that he admitted in court to committing 11 murders, including those in the city of Jombang, East Java, strengthened our decision to hand down the death penalty," Suwidya said. Responding to the verdict, the defendant's lawyers said they planned to file an appeal.

During the court session, four interns in their high-school uniforms took pictures of Ryan with their phone cameras, claiming at the last hearing they spoke with the serial killer.

"We know he is a murderer, but he is handsome," said Nurhasanah, one of the interns.

Since his arrest, Ryan has acquired an almost celebrity-like status and been

Your Opinion Matters

Share your experiences, suggestions, and any issues you've encountered on The Jakarta Post. We're here to listen.

Enter at least 30 characters
0 / 30

Thank You

Thank you for sharing your thoughts. We appreciate your feedback.