INDRAMAYU - Residents of Paoman Village, Indramayu Regency, West Java, testified regarding the discovery of five bodies buried in a single hole on Monday, September 1.
Ema (55), a relative of the victims, said she was one of the first witnesses to smell a foul odor coming from the side of the victim's residence and suspected something was amiss because the house appeared deserted and locked.
"Initially, we were suspicious because Sachroni's family (one of the victims) couldn't be contacted for several days. The house was also quiet with no activity," Ema said in Indramayu, Antara News Agency, Wednesday, September 3.
She and a neighbor then took the initiative to break down the door at around 5:30 p.m. WIB. However, they stopped when they reached the backyard because the pungent odor grew stronger from the mound of earth under the jackfruit tree.
"When we looked closer, we saw human feet emerging from the ground. It was Haji Sachroni's body. I immediately asked for help..." she said.
Ema admitted to being deeply devastated and unable to forget the incident, having seen her close relative found buried alongside four other victims.
She said residents immediately reported the discovery to the police. Officers then arrived at the location and began excavating around the house at 7:30 PM WIB.
The excavation, she said, revealed five bodies: Sachroni (76), his son, Budi Awaludin (40), his daughter-in-law, Euis Juwita Sari (37), and a seven-year-old child and a toddler.
"The police removed the other bodies. I only saw Haji Sachroni's body for the first time," Ema said.
Meanwhile, the victim's neighbor, Sohib (42), said communication between the Sachroni family and local residents had been cut off since Thursday (August 28) of last week.
He said several residents had contacted him via text message and instant messaging apps, but received no response.
He also revealed that two pickup trucks stopped in front of the victim's house early Saturday (August 30). However, residents did not suspect anything at the time.
"Only after the bodies were found did residents realize there was a connection to the incident," he said.
Local residents hope the police will quickly solve this case, to determine the motive and the suspected perpetrator who killed the victims, one of whom was a 10-month-old baby.
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