Human Body Parts Found at Ketewel Beach Decomposed for Over 3 Days
Human body parts discovered in the Wos River estuary at Tan Sema Beach (Ketewel Beach), Banjar Keden village, Ketewel district, Sukawati sub-district, Gianyar, Bali, have decomposed significantly. The decomposition was confirmed following examination by Prof Ngoerah Central General Hospital (RSUP) in Denpasar.
The hospital, operating under the Ministry of Health (Kemenkes), conducted the examination after receiving the human body parts from Sukawati Police Station (Polsek). The examination was performed by the Forensic Installation and Mortuary Services unit of Prof Ngoerah RSUP.
“Initially, we received this body part yesterday afternoon around 4 o’clock. The Sukawati Police Station brought it in. It was already in an advanced state of decomposition,” said Dr Nola Margaret Gunawan, head of the Forensic Installation and Mortuary Services at Prof Ngoerah RSUP, in a statement on Friday (27 February 2026).
Nola revealed that the body fragment is estimated to be more than three days old. The advanced decomposition condition of the remains has hindered initial examination and affected several medical analyses.
Nevertheless, the examination conducted has been limited because the forensic team from Prof Ngoerah RSUP has yet to receive any formal request from investigators. As a result, only external examination of the body parts has been performed.
Nola emphasised that crucial matters, such as whether the body parts were severed in a neat manner suggesting intentional dismemberment, cannot be concluded without a comprehensive autopsy.
“That’s difficult to determine from a cursory look because it’s already in advanced decomposition. So when it eventually undergoes autopsy, we hope there will be findings that can clarify whether the cut was clean or not. We hope the autopsy will answer that question,” said Nola.
Nola also addressed the unknown identity of the body parts. According to her, nationality cannot be determined through physical examination alone. Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) testing must be conducted to establish the individual’s identity and enable further investigation into their background.
Based on forensic anthropology, analysis of features and bone characteristics can also help determine the victim’s population proximity, such as whether they exhibit Caucasoid, Mongoloid, or Negroid characteristics. However, all such processes require comprehensive further examination.
Previously reported, the human head fragment was discovered at 10.00 Western Indonesian Time (WITA) by a resident exercising along the beach. The resident noticed a suspicious object floating in the river estuary.
Upon approaching, the object proved to be a human head. The resident then reported the discovery to police.
Upon receiving the report, police immediately went to the location and secured the crime scene. Officers subsequently combed the beach to search for any additional body parts.