Police Name Seven Suspects in Murder of US Pilot in Yahukimo
Papuan police have named seven people as suspects in the attack and murder of American pilot Captain Nicholas F. Goselin. The suspects are MB, AB, LS, DA, NS, KB, and SP. The Cartenz Peace Operation Task Force stated that the seven suspects are now fugitives on the wanted list.
Director of Criminal Investigation for the Cartenz Peace Operation, Senior Commissioner I Gusti Gde Era Adhinata, explained that the suspects were named and placed on the wanted list after the team processed the crime scene last week and held a case conference. “Based on the evidence collected, the suspects are believed to have jointly murdered the pilot and set fire to a civilian aircraft, disrupting flight safety,” Senior Commissioner Era Adhinata said in a press release received in Jakarta on Wednesday.
The suspects are charged under Article 459 in conjunction with Article 20 of the Criminal Code, and Article 458 in conjunction with Article 20 of the Criminal Code. These charges relate to the criminal acts of murder and endangering flight safety. The suspects face a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. “The Cartenz Peace Task Force is continuing the pursuit and coordinating with all units to make arrests immediately,” Senior Commissioner Era Adhinata said.
Head of Public Relations for the Cartenz Peace Operation, Senior Commissioner Yusuf Sutejo, added that a team from the Papua Regional Police and Cartenz Peace Operation personnel processed the crime scene at the location. From the scene, police found the wreckage of a Pilatus PC-6/B2-H4 Turbo Porter aircraft with registration PK-RCY. Its condition was severely damaged by fire. “It was 90 per cent burnt, with the middle section of the fuselage being the most severely damaged point,” Senior Commissioner Yusuf said.
When the team processed the scene, the aircraft was still facing the runway, and Captain Nicholas’s body had already been evacuated. The crime scene team found a number of pieces of evidence in a traditional ‘honai’ hut used as a base by an armed Papuan separatist group. “In the honai, a sign was found reading ‘Markas Komando Daerah Militer TPNPB Kodap VII Balinggama’,” Senior Commissioner Yusuf said.
Inside the honai, the team also found evidence including a noken bag, a scarf with a Morning Star motif, a camouflage shirt, and a pair of camouflage trousers. The team also found a belt, a machete with its sheath, two parangs, an air rifle, a torch, a medicine box, a mobile phone card, a flash drive, memory cards for a camera and a mobile phone, a camera, a tripod, and a camouflage backpack. The crime scene team also found documents and identity cards showing membership of the TPNPB. “All evidence from the crime scene has been identified by the team at the Papua Regional Police and is undergoing forensic laboratory examination,” Senior Commissioner Yusuf said.
The police investigation team has also examined several witnesses regarding the attack and murder of the American pilot. From the investigation, it was found that at least 15 people were involved in the burning of the aircraft, which led to the shooting death of Captain Nicholas.
It was previously reported that the TPNPB-OPM claimed responsibility for the attack by setting fire to a pioneer aircraft belonging to PT AMM at Ipdeheik Airport, Balinggama Village, Sobaham District, Yahukimo, Papua Pegunungan, on Thursday. The aircraft was carrying around 15 passengers, who survived the attack. However, the pilot, Captain Nicholas, met a tragic fate. The armed group that attacked the aircraft killed the American citizen on the spot.