Residents Recall Victim's Wife Seeking Help Before Bantul Murder

Residents in the vicinity of the murder location in Sedayu, Bantul, stated that the victim’s wife had come to ask for help. However, due to the lack of activity at the time, no one knew the specifics of what had happened.

The night watchman of the Agro Industrial Park I at Mercu Buana University, Yogyakarta, Arifin (45), said that he was initially sitting outside his workplace. At around 05:20 AM, Arifin was approached by the victim’s wife, RPS (34).

“I was sitting down when a woman came walking with a child, asking for help for her husband,” he told detikJogja in Argomulyo, Sedayu, Bantul, on Wednesday (February 25, 2026).

Upon hearing this, Arifin first tidied up his workplace while asking RPS to go to the security post.

“After that, the security guard and I went to the location together, but I stayed outside,” he said.

The reason he remained outside, Arifin continued, was because he was not trained in providing medical assistance. He then immediately contacted the local community leader.

“I didn’t dare to handle the situation, so I reported it to the community leader, and we all went there around 06:00 AM,” he said.

Regarding the atmosphere at the scene, Arifin said it was relatively quiet. Moreover, it was still early in the morning, and many residents were resting after finishing their pre-dawn meal (sahur) and performing the Subuh prayer.

“At that time, there were rarely any vehicles passing by, especially after sahur, people usually pray and then rest. Usually, this area is not busy, with only a few motorcycles passing through,” he said.

Previously, it was reported that a man died after being attacked with a machete in a house in Kaliurang, Argomulyo, Sedayu, Bantul. The attack occurred inside the house while the victim was sleeping with his wife and child.

The Head of Public Relations of the Bantul Police, Iptu Rita Hidayanto, said that the incident began when the witness, RPS (34), a resident of Argomulyo, was sleeping next to her husband, TYR (36), and their child in the living room at 05:30 AM. Then, RPS heard the back door of their house open.

“After that, the perpetrator, who was wearing a mask, immediately swung the machete at the victim who was still sleeping,” she told reporters in Bantul on Wednesday (February 25, 2026).

At that time, RPS managed to deflect the machete swing. As a result, three of RPS’s middle fingers were cut.

“Even though the witness deflected it, the machete swing hit the victim’s face, stomach, and fingers,” she said.

After successfully attacking TYR, the perpetrator immediately left the house. The victim’s child, who was five years old, was unharmed.

“The witness then informed her neighbors and reported it to the police,” she said.

Upon receiving the report, the police and medical personnel immediately went to the scene. Based on the examination, TYR suffered a 10 cm long cut on his face.

“Then, there was a cut on his stomach that went down to his thigh, 20 centimeters long and 10 centimeters deep,” she said.

(alg/apl)