Vocational Student in Pasuruan Murdered by Relative; Sent Final WhatsApp Plea for Help
Mohammad Ilham Azhari, a student from SMK 1 Sukorejo, was murdered by a relative identified by the initials Wy in Pasuruan Regency, East Java. The victim’s body was found bearing injuries from blunt force trauma and visible burn marks.
According to reports from DetikJatim, Wy murdered Mohammad Ilham Azhari in an attempt to seize the victim’s motorcycle. Criminal Investigation Unit Head Rizky Akbar Kurniadi stated that Wy allegedly needed money after having previously pawned his own motorcycle. Furthermore, the suspect is believed to be a frequent player in online gambling and had recently suffered significant losses.
After seizing the victim’s vehicle, the suspect pawned it to an individual identified as BU for Rp 2.4 million, using the proceeds to redeem his own motorcycle. The suspect is a relative of the victim, residing in Dusun Krajan, Candi Binangun Village, Sukorejo District, Pasuruan Regency.
A brief WhatsApp message served as the final communication from Mohammad Ilham Azhari to his friend before he was found dead in a coffee plantation in Jatiarjo Village, Prigen District, Pasuruan Regency. The student had sent a plea for help, claiming he was facing a major problem and was too afraid to return home.
Ilham left his house on the afternoon of Thursday, 1 October 2026. Two days later, searches conducted by the family and local residents ended with the discovery of Ilham’s body in the coffee plantation in the early hours of Saturday, 3 October 2026.
Before disappearing, Ilham had told his parents he was going to volleyball practice around 4:00 PM WIB. Although his parents initially discouraged him due to the significance of the night, Ilham proceeded. At approximately 6:22 PM WIB, the family learned that Illam had sent a WhatsApp message to a friend.
Eko Wahyudi, the Head of Dusun Dayu, stated that the victim’s message provided the initial clue for the family’s search. The message read: ‘Please help me, I have a big problem, I don’t dare to go home. My current position is in Pajaran.’ Following this, the family and residents immediately began searching.
On Friday, 2 October, the search intensified. Clues led to the victim’s Honda Beat motorcycle, which was spotted being used by someone in Keduruan Village, Sukorejo District. The motorcycle was found without a licence plate. The victim’s father sought assistance from the Head of Keduruan Village to verify the vehicle’s identity. Once the rider was identified and the motorcycle confirmed as the victim’s, it was discovered that the vehicle had been obtained from the suspect, Wy.
Following this discovery, residents tracked down Wy, a relative of the victim. He was initially taken to the headman’s house for questioning by the family and residents. At that time, Wy claimed he had left the victim in the Kejayan area. However, as his statements became inconsistent and the search in Kejayan proved unsuccessful, the family requested that he be handed over to the police to prevent potential vigilante action by the gathering crowd.
Wy was subsequently taken to the Prigen Police Station. Notably, the suspect had even participated in the search efforts alongside the residents, even providing cigarettes to those searching, before the truth emerged.
Ilham’s body was eventually found in the coffee plantation in Jatiarjo Village. Medical examinations revealed injuries from violence and burns. The body was taken to Bhayangkara Porong Hospital in Sidoarjo for an autopsy before being returned to his family for burial. His death has left the community and family in deep mourning.