Three Witnesses Examined, Human Skull Finding Case In Duren Sawit In Police Investigation

Human skulls were found on the roof of the Duren Sawit area, East Jakarta/ Photo: IST

JAKARTA The Duren Sawit Sector Police are investigating a skull discovery case that is suspected to be part of a human body in a house on Jalan Nusa Indah 4, Malaka Jaya, East Jakarta. The surprising discovery occurred on Wednesday night, May 7, 2025.

Head of the Criminal Investigation Unit (Kanit Reskrim) of the Duren Sawit Police, Iptu Tatan Rustandi, said that his party had examined three witnesses to reveal the origins of the findings.

"We have examined three witnesses, including the owner of the first house named Imam and his relatives, in order to further investigate the discovery of the skull at the location," said Tatan when confirmed on Thursday (8/5).

The skull has now been sent to the Bhayangkara Level I Hospital of the Kramat Jati Police Health Center (Polri Hospital) for forensic examination, to determine whether it is really part of the human body.

According to Imam, the skull was first found in 2011 when he was cleaning the house in preparation for moving. At that time, the construction worker who was renovating the house found the object among the piles of old items in the kitchen area.

"The object was found in the vicinity of the kitchen and initially it was suspected that it was just a skull replica that is commonly used for learning at school," Tatan said, citing witness testimony.

Because he thought the object was harmless, Imam kept it on the kitchen ceiling without further investigating its origins. Imam also admitted that he did not know who put the object, and stated that no family member had previously kept such items.

After reports of the discovery of the skull entering the authorities, the police immediately went to the crime scene (TKP) to conduct further investigations. Although the object was only reported at this time, Tatan ensured that his party remained serious in tracing the origins of the skull.

"Currently there have been no reports of missing persons directly related to this case. We are still waiting for the results of the examination from the forensic team of the National Police Hospital to confirm the identity and authenticity of the skull," explained Tatan.

The investigation continues to ascertain whether this case leads to a criminal act or is merely a non-criminal finding whose reporting has been delayed over the years.