Villagers in North Sumatra came to him for luck, love spells, and cures. For eleven years, dozens of women who sought his help never came home.
Who Was Ahmad Suradji
Ahmad Suradji was born on January 10, 1949, in Medan, Indonesia, and worked as a cattle breeder before becoming known locally as a dukun, a traditional healer and spiritual guide. He went by several names in his village, including Nasib Kelewang and Datuk Maringgi, and built a reputation among neighbors as a generous, well-regarded figure who helped the sick and gave to local causes.
Women paid Suradji between $200 and $400 for spells meant to bring wealth, beauty, or a faithful partner. Many of the women who visited him were reportedly reluctant to tell their families, which meant their disappearances weren't immediately connected to him.
The Disappearances and the Discovery
On May 2, 1997, authorities in North Sumatra found three bodies buried in a sugarcane plantation next to Suradji's home. As the investigation widened, police recovered clothing and personal items belonging to roughly 25 missing women from his property. Around 80 families in the region had reported female relatives missing over the preceding years.
Suradji initially admitted to killing 16 women. Under further questioning, he raised that number to 42, describing a killing period that stretched from 1986 to 1997. His victims ranged in age from 11 to 30; police believed a number of them had worked as sex workers, which he reportedly saw as making their disappearances less likely to draw attention.
Editorial note: Given the number of victims who were minors, we are deliberately not detailing the specifics of how the killings were carried out.
His Wives' Involvement
Suradji was married to three sisters. Indonesian authorities alleged that his wives assisted him in disposing of victims' bodies and possessions. The eldest, Tumini, was tried alongside him as a co-conspirator.
Confession, Motive, and Trial
Suradji told investigators he had been visited by his late father in a dream nine years earlier, instructing him to kill 70 women to increase his spiritual power and become a more potent dukun. He said he intended to keep killing until he reached that number. During the trial, both Suradji and Tumini attempted to retract their confessions, claiming they had been coerced by investigators — a claim the court did not accept.
On April 27, 1998, a court in North Sumatra convicted Suradji of murder and sentenced him to death by firing squad.
Execution
Suradji spent roughly a decade on death row while his case moved through Indonesia's appeals system. He was executed by firing squad in 2008, one of the country's highest-profile applications of the death penalty for a serial murder case.
FAQ
How many people did Ahmad Suradji kill?
He confessed to murdering 42 women and girls between 1986 and 1997, though he claimed he intended to kill 70.
Were his wives convicted?
His eldest wife, Tumini, was tried as his accomplice for helping conceal and dispose of victims' remains.
How was Ahmad Suradji executed?
He was sentenced to death by firing squad in 1998 and executed in 2008.