D

enpasar District Court judge Amser Simanjuntak was founddead at his official residence here on Saturday morning. He was 55.
Renowned for his tough courtroomdemeanor, Simanjuntak was called the '€œdeadly judge'€ for frequently issuingsevere sentences in many complex or high-profile trials.
Simanjuntak made worldwide headlines whenhe sentenced 57-year-old British grandmother Lindsay June Sandiford toexecution by firing squad for cocaine smuggling in January.
While reports say that the judge died ofa heart attack, police have said that the case remains under investigation.
Adj. Comr. I Putu Supama, the commandingofficer of the East Denpasar police precinct, told The Jakarta Post onSaturday night that officers had failed to find evidence of foul play inSimanjuntak'€™s death.
After an initial autopsy, doctors fromSanglah Hospital said that Simanjuntak might have died of natural causes. Thejudge'€™s family, however, declined to authorize a full autopsy.
Simanjuntak was found on the floor of hisliving room, clutching his chest.
Denpasar District Court chief IstiningsihRahayu said at Sanglah Hospital on Saturday that Simanjuntak failed to show upfor court proceedings scheduled for Friday morning. '€œThat was very strange. PakAmser was a dedicated and self-discipline person. He would never done thiswithout prior warning or at least a call.'€
Simanjuntak, a father of four, wastransferred to Denpasar District Court three years ago, while his wife andchildren continued to live in Yogyakarta. He lived alone at the court'€™s housingcomplex on Jl. Kemuda in Denpasar.
In his last high-profile case,Simanjuntak sentenced to death Lindsay June Sandiford for smuggling 4.7kilograms of cocaine into Bali.
The verdict was far heavier than 15years'€™ imprisonment sought by prosecutors. '€œThe verdict was made based onevidence,'€ Simanjuntak said when speaking with the Post on Wednesdayafternoon, three days before his death.