Premature Baby Found Mutilated in East Nusa Tenggara, Partially Eaten by Dog

Residents of Nunkolo Village in Timor Tengah Selatan Regency, East Nusa Tenggara, were shocked by the discovery of a baby boy’s body in a mutilated state in a resident’s yard. When found, parts of the infant’s head, stomach, and hands had been eaten by a dog. The body was identified as the premature child of 31-year-old MT, also known as Marni, a local resident.

Timor Tengah Selatan Police Chief AKBP Hendra Dorizen confirmed the incident. He stated that the Criminal Investigation Unit’s Identification Team visited the location at the home of BT, also known as Bernadus, in RT 005/RW 003, Nunkolo Village, on Tuesday (16/6/2026) to conduct identification and an autopsy. ‘The body had previously been buried by residents over the weekend,’ AKBP Hendra said in a statement received on Thursday (18/6/2026).

Hendra explained that on Friday night (12/6/2026), after dinner, Marni experienced abdominal pain and subsequently gave birth to a baby that was only six months into the pregnancy. The baby was already deceased at birth. Marni then placed the infant’s body on the living room floor on top of a pair of trousers. She then went to the kitchen, which was separate from the main house, to boil water. After bathing and returning to the main house, Marni saw that the body was no longer where she had left it. A dog had entered the house and dragged it outside. Marni searched around the house but could not find the body. Feeling dizzy, she went inside to rest.

The following day, Saturday (13/6/2026) at around 5:30 a.m. local time, Bernadus was on his way to the bathroom when he saw a dog eating the baby’s body in his yard. After leaving the bathroom, he searched for the body and found that the dog had moved it roughly 10 metres to the back of the house. Bernadus chased the dog away and informed his wife, Legorina. They then reported the incident to local traditional leader Petrus Nenomataus. When Petrus arrived, the body was wrapped in clothing. It was no longer intact, as the head, left hand, and lower abdomen had been eaten by the dog. Bernadus subsequently buried the body behind his house.

That same morning, Marni visited the hamlet chief, Simon Affi, under the pretext of charging her mobile phone. She admitted that the body found behind Bernadus’ house was her child. Marni confessed to giving birth alone and that upon returning from the kitchen, the baby had disappeared and been eaten by a dog. She asked Simon not to report the matter to the police.

Hendra revealed that Marni is married. Her husband, AN alias Anton, has been working in Kalimantan for the past two years. While pregnant in December 2025, Marni reportedly had a relationship with JN alias Joni, who is a close relative of her husband. ‘Joni reportedly stated he was ready to take responsibility,’ Hendra said.

The case was eventually reported by residents to the Nunkolo Police Post, South Amanatun Sector Police, on Tuesday (16/6/2026). Police subsequently exhumed the grave for identification and a post-mortem examination conducted by Dr. Yuni from the Nunkolo Community Health Centre. Officers also secured a number of pieces of evidence from Marni’s house and the burial site. ‘The post-mortem results stated that the baby’s body was not full-term, only six months. The condition of the body was not intact and had begun to decompose because parts of it were missing,’ he added. Hendra stressed that the case remains under police investigation.