Eri's remains arrive from L.A. for burial<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The remains of Tri Harto Darmawan, known as Eri
\nand a victim of the Los Angeles triple murder, was flown home to
\nJakarta yesterday, a week after the arrival of Gina Sutan Aswar's
\nbody, another victim of the murder.<\/p>\n
Eri's brother, Hernoko Dewantono, alias Oki, 30, has been
\naccused by the Los Angeles police of perpetrating the murder that
\nis now being investigated here in Jakarta by the city police.<\/p>\n
Delivering his eulogy at Eri's funeral ceremony at the Tanah
\nKusir cemetery in South Jakarta, their father, Hendarno
\nHendarmin, an ex-bank employee, could not hide his deep sorrow
\nand was forced to pause several times during the eulogy.<\/p>\n
His ex-wife and the mother of Eri, Oki and their brother Tito,
\nSekartini Ramadidjaya, was visibly distraught from the moment the
\ncoffin containing Eri's remains was brought to her home on Jl.
\nBank 19 in Pejaten Barat subdistrict, South Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Tito, the second of the three Hendarno-Sekartini children,
\nalso failed to stop crying while reciting the azan (Moslem call
\nto prayer) over his younger brother's deceased body at the
\nfuneral rite.<\/p>\n
Tito and Sekartini picked up Eri's corpse from the Los Angeles
\nCounty coroner and arrived aboard a Garuda Indonesia plane at the
\nSoekarno-Hatta airport at around 10:30 a.m. yesterday. The coffin
\nwas immediately driven to Sekartini's house, where her family
\nmembers, relatives and friends were waiting.<\/p>\n
Like Gina, the arrival of Eri again attracted media people,
\nthough far fewer.<\/p>\n
While trapped in a traffic jam on the way to the house, the
\nconvoy was approached by newspaper boys offering magazines with
\nnews of the Oki case as their cover stories.<\/p>\n
After Friday prayers, and a prayer at Sekartini's home, the
\nbody was taken to the public cemetery to be buried.<\/p>\n
Eri's corpse had been kept in a storage locker in Los Angeles
\nalong with the bodies of Gina and an Indian businessman until
\nthey were found in August of last year.<\/p>\n
Oki has been in Jakarta police custody since his arrest on
\nJan. 7 for passport forgery. Now, he is also being questioned for
\nhis alleged role in the murder of the three victims as accused by
\nthe Los Angeles police.<\/p>\n
Since his arrest, police have not allowed anyone, including
\nhis family and lawyers, to see Oki, worrying that his testimony
\nmight get distorted.<\/p>\n
In a two-minute interview with reporters prior to the arrival
\nof Eri's body, Hendarno insisted that he and other relatives
\nbadly need to meet with Oki.<\/p>\n
\"Wouldn't any father want to meet with his own son?\" he asked
\nreporters.<\/p>\n
This was the first time Hendarno had spoken with reporters
\nsince the murder was reported by the media.<\/p>\n
He, however, refused to answer questions from reporters, such
\nas if he was sure that Oki had killed the three victims.<\/p>\n
Asking about a letter believed to be written by Oki while in
\npolice custody, Hendarno said: \"I have not read, nor even seen, a
\nsingle letter from him.\"<\/p>\n
In Oki's letter shown to reporters by the police, he rejects
\nthe lawyers appointed by his father from Ruhut Sitompoel, Tommy
\nSihotang & Associates.<\/p>\n
Hendarno added, \"I know my son better than anyone else.\"<\/p>\n
Ruhut said: \"None of us know if it's Oki's handwriting or, if
\nit is, if he did it under pressure.\"<\/p>\n
The most important thing, he said, is to, \"give us or his
\nfamily a chance to meet with Oki.\" (bsr)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/eris-remains-arrive-from-la-for-burial-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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