Indonesian Court Sentences Two Men to 18 Years for Murder of Spanish Tourist

An Indonesian court has sentenced two men, Suhaeli (alias Eli) and Heri Ridwan (alias Geri), to 18 years in prison for the premeditated murder of Spanish tourist Matilde Muñoz, who was found dead in her hotel room on the tourist island of Lombok last July. The verdict was delivered at the Mataram court in Lombok on Wednesday. The trial began on December 17, and the sentence aligns with the penalty sought by prosecutor Made Saptini earlier this month. During the reading of the sentence, Judge Kelik Trimargo confirmed that the crime had been proven, emphasizing that the convicted men acted knowingly and intentionally in violation of the law. The court found them guilty of premeditated murder, as charged by the prosecution. The prosecution had initially charged both defendants with homicide, premeditated murder, and robbery with violence, crimes that could have resulted in penalties ranging from 15 years to the death penalty, although the latter is rarely enforced in Indonesia. The convicts were employees of the Bumi Aditya hotel, where Muñoz was staying. They admitted to killing the 72-year-old Spanish woman unexpectedly after she woke up during their robbery at approximately 3 a.m. on July 2, 2025. Muñoz's body remained hidden near a beach in Lombok, half a kilometer from her hotel, for nearly two months before being discovered on August 30. Following the investigation, police learned that the autopsy performed on September 4 at the Lombok police hospital revealed that Muñoz died from asphyxiation, with trauma evident on her head, neck, and chest. This information confirmed suspicions of violence surrounding the circumstances of her death. Despite the conviction, there were reported inconsistencies in the testimonies of other hotel employees. Two witnesses testified during the trial, claiming to have seen or heard nothing suspicious concerning the events leading up to Muñoz’s disappearance. The investigation commenced on August 13, initiated by the Lombok police, after a request for assistance was made by the Spanish embassy in Indonesia following concerns raised by Muñoz's friends and family regarding her whereabouts in July. Matilde Muñoz, originally from Ferrol, A Coruña, and residing in Mallorca, frequently visited Lombok and had established strong connections to the island, considering the Bumi Aditya hotel her home away from home. This tragic case raises questions about tourist safety and the judicial processes related to violent crime in Indonesia. Related Sources: • Source 1 • Source 2