Wowon: Supernatural Serial Killer Murdered His Own Wives and Children in West Java

Liputan6.com, Bekasi - Police arrested three men after multiple killings in West Java's regions. The murders were allegedly linked with a supernatural scam that ended up in a series of murders. 

Among the victims were the first and second wife of the suspect.

The gruesome acts were unveiled after a family were found poisoned in Bekasi city earlier this month. Bekasi is part of West Java Province but included in the Greater Jakarta (Jabodetabek) area.

The victims in Bekasi were seen foaming in their mouths. Three people died, among them were Ai Maimunah (40) and her two sons aged 23 and 17. Two other people were saved, including a 5-year-old girl. 

Soon the police identified three culprits. Two culprits Wowon Erawan (60) and Solihin alias Duloh (60) were arrested in Garut, located in the southeastern of West Java's capital. 

The plot of the murders was riddled with grim twists: Wowon was the second husband of the female victim, Solihin married the sister of one of Wowon's wives, meanwhile the third suspect was actually one of the survivors of the poisoning incident: M. Dede Solehuddin. 

"One person drank the poison intentionally, that one was also made to be the suspect," said Chief Commissioner at Jakarta Metropolitan Police Hengki Haryadi on Thursday (19/1/2023).

The murder in Bekasi was not the first. Police learned that there were four other victims in Cianjur, also in West Java. One of them was a child. They were all buried in holes around Wowon's home.

According to the police, the culprits attempted to manipulate victims by promising fortune through supernatural methods. After the targets gave up their assets, they were murdered along with the witnesses. 

"The ending was to take the money from the manipulated people. Started with fraud, promise, motivation for life successes," said the Chief of Jakarta Metropolitan Police Fadil Imran. 

However, the Bekasi victims were poisoned because they were seemingly aware of the fraud and demanded the promised profits.

The victims in Cianjur turned out to be Wowon's first wife, his mother-in-law, and his own son who was only 2-year-old. The wife in Bekasi was not his legal wife, but only married in a religious way. 

Police suspected Wowon got himself six wives.

Two other female victims were also found in Cianjur and Garut. They were identified as Siti and Farida respectively. Siti was drowned in the sea, but later found by locals and buried. 

The two women were migrant workers, and they were promised to get houses once they returned to Indonesia, thus they sent money to the suspects. But they were eventually killed after demanding their money. One of the suspects, Dede, was accused of receiving the money from the migrant workers. 

Police are also aware of another victim, but the circumstances of the ninth victim are still unknown. 

All the suspects are facing the death sentence for plotting the murder. 

The Indonesian National Police HQ instructed the murder to be fully unveiled as it has become a public interest, however the spokesperson of the Indonesian National Police also asked the investigation to be done scientifically and by the rules.

Ady Anugrahadi, Nanda Perdana Putra, Agustina Melani, and Merdeka.com contributed to this report.