Mystery of Coffee Powder Behind Skeletal Remains of Woman in Depok Uncovered

The discovery of skeletal remains in Muruyung, Limo, Depok shocked the public. The victim, a 56-year-old woman with initials DH, is believed to have been murdered by her unregistered husband, aged 44 and identified as AR. The body was found by the victim’s child and their partner on Saturday, 7 March, at approximately 09:00 WIB whilst they were cleaning the victim’s house. Police immediately launched an investigation and arrested the suspect on Sunday, 8 March, at 15:30 WIB in the Jatimulya area of Tambun, West Java.

The perpetrator concealed the odour by scattering coffee powder around the corpse. Scientifically, coffee powder possesses a remarkable ability to absorb aromas. Coffee contains nitrogen compounds that are highly effective in neutralising the sulphur gas or ammonia produced during human body decomposition. In forensic science, the use of coffee is often regarded as an attempt to mask the smell of decay to avoid detection by the surrounding environment for an extended period.

However, coffee can only mask odours for a limited duration and within a restricted radius. Once decomposition reaches an advanced stage, the smell of gases will still permeate through the coffee aroma, particularly if air circulation is poor.

The National Police’s forensic analysis team will investigate whether the coffee was placed by the victim before death—as part of a habit—or placed by someone else after death to conceal evidence.

Metro Jaya Regional Police revealed that economic issues triggered the murder behind the discovery of the skeletal remains of the woman in Depok, West Java. The victim had been murdered by her unregistered husband since October 2025, and the corpse was covered with coffee to mask the smell.