Quadruple killer executed

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Quadruple murderer, Turmudi bin Kasturi, has been executed in Jambi, the fifth death row prisoner to die by firing squad over the past year.

Turmudi was executed 30 minutes before midnight on Friday in Pematang Lumut village, West Tanjung Jabung district, around 100 kilometers from the provincial capital of Jambi.

Legal expert Tabrani M. Sholeh expressed regrets over the execution, the first in the province's history, saying Turmudi was just "unlucky" as the Supreme Court considers a proposal that would require an automatic review of any death sentence verdict.

It would be particularly for convicts who have been on death row for more than five years due to delayed requests for appeal or clemency.

"Had the revision gone into effect before he was executed, Turmudi would have a chance to still be alive," Tabrani said.

Turmudi was sentenced to death eight years ago for killing his fiance Suwarni, along with her mother Iyem, her brother Suwarman and her niece Sri Wahyuni -- all with a sword.

The murders took place after Turmudi became enraged by the discovery of a letter that his fiance had apparently written to another man.

Deputy chief of the Jambi prosecutor's office, Luhut Pakpahan, said the execution was done after the convict exhausted all legal efforts to seek leniency.

Luhut said it was difficult for the Supreme Court to accept his appeal due to lack of legal grounds to convince the justices.

Turmudi was buried in his home village in Sungai Lilin, Musi Banyuasin regency in South Sumatra.

Turmudi was the second convicted murder to be executed this year after a 49-year-old woman, Astini got the firing squad in March. Astini was found guilty of murdering and mutilating three women in Surabaya.

Three foreigners were executed between August and October last year in Medan, North Sumatra -- all for drug trafficking.

More people are expected to be executed in the near future, as there are dozens of convicts on death row at present, including three of the key operatives in the Bali terror attacks in 2002 -- Amrozi, Imam Samudra and Ali Imron.

Other people in the country executed by firing squad include Hoesin Umar Bafari (1978), Henky Tupanwael and Kusni Kasdut (1980), Adi Saputra (1993), Karta Cahyadi and Katjong Laranu (1995), Gerson Pandie and Frederik Sori (2001).