Motive of Brigadier Rizka in Husband's Murder: Debt Issues and Disharmonious Household

Brigadier Rizka Sintiyani has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for the murder of her husband, Brigadier Esco Faska Rely. The Mataram District Court judge revealed Rizka killed her husband due to economic problems and a household that was no longer harmonious. “The defendant’s motive for committing the crime was economic,” said Chief Judge I Putu Suyoga on Friday (19/6/2026). Based on trial facts, Brigadier Esco reportedly had debts totalling tens of millions of rupiah in several places, which were due on 20 August 2025. The repayment deadline was just days before Esco was found dead. “The defendant also complained about remuneration money that the victim had not yet transferred,” Suyoga added. Defendant Rizka had also previously stated that the debt was Esco’s affair. She even once refused to allow her car to be used as collateral to pay off the debt. Suyoga stated that other motives in the case were revenge and the disharmony of the household between Esco and Rizka. “The subsequent motives are revenge and household disharmony,” he said. According to testimony from Esco’s parents, defendant Rizka had wanted to divorce the victim Esco because she was tired of the economic problems and debts. Other witness statements also mentioned the occurrence of domestic violence within the police couple’s household. According to the judge, Rizka had also sent threatening messages to Esco. The judge stated that Rizka killed her husband to escape the debt problems and to gain control of assets such as a car, money, inheritance, and other items. “This was proven by the defendant’s behaviour after the incident, which focused more on money and assets than on searching for her missing husband,” the judge added. It was previously reported that the Mataram District Court judge handed down a 10-year sentence to Rizka. This punishment was less than the prosecutor’s demand, which sought a 14-year prison term. Besides Rizka, the case of Brigadier Esco’s death also involved four other defendants. They are Siaun, Nuraini, Paozi, and Dani Rifkan. The four defendants, who played a role in hiding Esco’s body, were sentenced to eight months and seven days in prison. Brigadier Esco was found dead in a tragic state in the garden behind his house in Nyiur Lembang Hamlet, Jembatan Gantung Village, Lembar District, West Lombok, on 24 August. The intelligence officer from Sekotong Police Station was first discovered by Saiun. Brigadier Esco’s body was found decomposing, with a damaged face and a rope around his neck under a tree. Initially, Brigadier Esco’s death was suspected to be a suicide by hanging. However, the investigation by the West Lombok Police later indicated that Brigadier Esco died as a result of murder. In the course of the investigation, police subsequently named five suspects. The first person named as a suspect was Brigadier Esco’s wife, Brigadier Rizka, followed by the four others.