Loading summary
Transcript12 lines
- [00:00]
Verizon Advertiser
Think Verizon is expensive? Think again. Anyone can bring their AT and T or T mobile bill to a Verizon store today and we'll give you a better deal. So bring us your bill, walk in running, hogo, sticking teleport if you can, ride on the back of a rollerblading yak or fly in on the wings of a majestic falcon. Any way, you can bring your AT and T or T mobile bill to a Verizon store today and we'll give you a better deal on the best network based on RootMetric's best overall mobile network performance. US second half 2025 all rights reserved. Must provide a very recent postpaid consumer mobile bill in the name of the person redeeming the deal. Additional terms, conditions and restrictions apply.
- [00:30]
Amazon Pharmacy Advertiser
Amazon Pharmacy presents painful thoughts 20 more minutes to kill in the Pharmacy before my prescription is ready. Maybe I'll grab some deeply discounted out of season Halloween candy. I never had a chocolate pumpkin with raisins before. Those were raisins, right? Next time use Amazon Pharmacy. We deliver. And no, those were not raisins. Amazon Pharmacy Healthcare just got less painful.
- [01:03]
Casefile Narrator
Today's episode was originally a premium only release, meaning it was only available for our paying subscribers. Given that we never intended to keep premium episodes behind a permanent paywall, these remaining episodes are now being released to all listeners as part of our Casefile Archives series to mark our 10 year anniversary. If you're interested in supporting the show, you can still find our subscriber channels on Patreon, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. However, please note that moving forward we will no longer be producing premium only episodes. Paid subscribers will continue to receive new Casefile episodes one week early and ad free, as well as episodes of behind the Files where the casefile team answers your questions and discusses the recent cases we have covered. As always, I'd like to offer a huge and heartfelt thank you to everyone who has listened and supported the show over the years, especially our Patreon and Premium subscribers. We appreciate each and every one of you. Our episodes deal with serious and often distressing incidents. If you feel at any time you need support, please contact your local crisis centre for suggested phone numbers, for confidential support, and for a more detailed list of content warnings. Please see the show notes for this episode on your app or on our website. It was nearing 3:30pm on Wednesday, January 6, 2016 when 27 year old Jessica Wongso arrived at the Grand Indonesia Mall in Central Jakarta. She was due to meet two of her friends, Myrna Salihin and Hani Boone for coffee at the upscale Olivier Cafe at 5pm it had been a while since the trio had all been together. The three Indonesian women had met in Australia years prior while studying at the Billy Blue College of Design in Sydney. After graduating, Jessica had stayed in Australia while Mina and Hani returned to Jakarta. They'd all remained in contact and caught up intermittently over the years, but this was Jessica's first trip back to Jakarta since 2012. Having arrived at the cafe early, Jessica went in to make a reservation. Olivier was a trendy venue that catered to high end clientele. It was known as a cool spot to be seen and was a favourite among Jakarta's more affluent crowds. Customers could enjoy the eclectic menu of fine foods, desserts and cocktails while soaking in the natural light that poured in from the skylights above. An assortment of indoor plants perfectly complemented the green vinyl booths and timber finishes, creating an earthy yet sophisticated atmosphere. It was the perfect spot for the friends who came from well off families and lived around the affluent Cullapa Garden District to catch up. After reserving a table, Jessica still had plenty of time before her friends arrived. She ventured back into the shopping mall and headed to Bath and Body Works, a fragrance and skincare store where she bought a bottle of liquid soap for herself and each of her friends. She then returned to Olivier with the soaps in three large paper gift bags. By this point it was 4:14pm Jessica took a seat at Table 54, a large booth situated towards the back of the cafe. Earlier that day Jessica had messaged Myrna and hani in their WhatsApp group saying that she'd like to pay for their drinks that afternoon. The others told her she didn't need to, but Jessica insisted. She walked over to the bar and ordered an old fashioned cocktail for herself, a Sazerac for Hani and a Vietnamese iced coffee for Myrna. Mirna was a self proclaimed coffee snob and and she'd raved to the group about how much she loved Olivier's Vietnamese iced coffees. By the time Myrna and Hani finally arrived, it was 5:16pm Jessica stood up and warmly embraced her friends, letting them know she'd taken the liberty of ordering their drinks. Myrna thanked Jessica for this kind, albeit unnecessary gesture and and the three sat down and began chatting. Meena took a sip through the straw of her iced coffee. She immediately screwed her face up in disgust. This tastes awful. She declared. Mina extended the drink towards Hani and asked her to taste. Didn't smell like coffee at all and the colour didn't look quite right either. Hani reluctantly took a sip. It tasted bitter and burning. Hani pushed the drink towards Jessica, but having seen her friends reactions, Jessica refused to taste it. Then Myrna started fanning her face with her hand. Suddenly she threw her head back and began convulsing. The cafe staff saw what was going on and ran over to move the table out of the way and give Myrna room. It was clear she was having trouble breathing and she soon began foaming at the mouth, her eyes rolling into the back of her head. Olivier's manager joined the crowd that had gathered around trying to help. Jessica Wongso stood next to her. What did you put in the coffee? She asked. An unconscious Myrna Salihin was wheelchaired out of Olivier Cafe and to a medical center within the shopping mall. Realising the seriousness of her condition, she was transported to hospital where doctors worked desperately to try and revive her. Her family immediately rushed to her side having received a phone call from a hysterical Hani who initially thought that Myrna might be having an epileptic seizure. Myrna's father, Eddie Salihin despairingly tried to administer CPR to Myrna himself while her twin sister Sandy yelled at her to wake up. But it was no use. Myrna was officially declared dead 30 minutes after arriving at the hospital. The Sally Hinn family was left in shock. As far as they were concerned, 27 year old Myrna had been in perfect health. She was in the prime of her life working for a design company and having just gotten married to her adoring husband, Arif Simarco. Two months earlier they'd had an opulent ceremony at a luxury resort in Bali attended by their closest friends and family. Myrna had grand plans for her future with the dreams of opening her own cafe and starting a family of her own. How her family wondered, could she be taken from them so suddenly? Myrna's father Eddie reported his daughter's death to the police. There was only one explanation he could think of for Myrna's sudden death and it was that she had been poisoned. Hani Boone told the doctor that she had drank from Myrna's iced coffee and was worried that she would die too. The doctor conducted a physical examination but concluded that Hani was fine. He prescribed a laxative and told her to eat and drink as much as possible to flush out any potential toxins from her them. Jessica Wongso was also examined and given the all clear while police took samples from Myrna's stomach contents for toxicological testing to determine if she had indeed been poisoned. The police went to Olivier Cafe and spoke to the staff there. The barista who made the Vietnamese iced coffee, Ranga Saputra, said there had been nothing unusual about the coffee. After the receipt for the order came through, Rangar said he made the beverage like he always did, filling a glass with ice and a couple of spoons of condensed milk before placing what's known as a phen filter full of ground coffee on top of it and pouring over hot water. He then put the coffee on a tray to be taken out by the server. The server didn't find anything unusual about the coffee. When he took it over to table 54, it looked and smelt like it always did. After Myrna collapsed, Olivier's bar manager, Divi Siagian, took the iced coffee into the back kitchen and examined it herself. She had immediate concerns about it, based on Jessica Wongso's comment about what had been put into it. Divi gave the iced coffee a whiff and took a sip. It smelt and tasted rotten. Ranga, the barista who made the iced coffee, came in and noticed that the colour had changed since he made should have been brown, but it had turned the golden yellow colour of turmeric. Ranga sniffed the coffee and was hit with a sharp odour that smelt like glue. It instantly irritated his nose. Panicked, Rangar began double checking all of the ingredients he'd used to make the drink. But everything appeared to be completely fine. Having kept the drink aside, a bartender poured the leftover iced coffee into an empty water bottle and handed it over to the police for toxicological testing. Three days after Myrna Salihin's death, the results came back. It was confirmed that the iced coffee contained cyanide, a rapidly acting and highly lethal poison. When ingested, cyanide affects the cardiovascular and central nervous system by preventing the body's cells from receiving or absorbing oxygen. Within minutes of absorbing the poison, a person can experience organ failure, convulsions, coma and death. While all of this was consistent with the symptoms Myrna exhibited right before her death, a full autopsy would need to be done to prove that she hadn't died from natural causes. The police met with Myrna's family at the funeral home and requested permission to perform a full autopsy. Her mother refused, saying she didn't want anyone to touch her daughter's body. They intended to have an open casket funeral for Myrna the following day, and her body had already been prepared for burial. This was a major roadblock for the police. They explained that without an autopsy being done, they wouldn't be able to conduct a proper investigation to prove that Myrna had actually been poisoned. After some deliberation, Myrna's family continued to reject the full autopsy. But they agreed that her stomach and liver could be removed for further toxicological testing. Myrna's funeral went ahead the following day. Myrna was a popular and deeply loved young woman and it was a highly emotional time for those in attendance. For Myrna's father, Eddie Selihan, the loss of his daughter made him feel like he'd lost his sparring partner. Eddie was a successful, wealthy businessman with a tough, no nonsense attitude. He'd always seen traits in Minna that he recognised in himself and he admired the way she challenged him whenever they had a disagreement. Following his daughter's burial, Eddy told reporters, we entrust the case to the police. I believe in the power of God. I believe the police will be able to arrest the perpetrator so my daughter can rest in peace. There was one person who was noticeably absent from Myrna's burial, and that was Jessica Wongso. Some wondered why she wasn't there, given the two seemed to be close friends and had been together when Myrna died. But the truth was that Jessica wouldn't have been very welcome there. Myrna's parents had always viewed Jessica as a bit peculiar. The first time they'd met her, she'd been overly affectionate in the way she hugged Myrna's mother when she first visited their house. They also found it strange that she had entered their bedroom. Her odd behaviour continued at the hospital on the day Myrna died. Unlike Hani, who had been in a clear state of shock and distress, Jessica had been oddly calm. Eddie Salihin felt like Jessica was avoiding him by pretending to be short of breath and have a stomach ache. He asked Jessica what she had to drink at the cafe and she told him mineral water. Eddy was surprised by this response. He'd seen the receipt from Olivier and knew that Jessica had ordered cocktails for herself and Hani. He couldn't understand why she would lie about such a thing. Unless, of course, she had something to hide. The day after Myrna's burial, toxicology tests confirmed the presence of cyanide in her stomach. With the police now confident that she had definitely been poisoned, they reviewed the footage taken from the nine CCTV cameras around Olivier Cafe on Wednesday, January 6. There didn't appear to be anything unusual about Ranga Saputra's actions as he made the Vietnamese iced coffee. Nor did the server interfere with the drink in any way when bringing it over to Jessica's table at 4:24pm it sat there out in the open for 52 minutes until Myrna and Hani arrived at 5:16pm at no point between the drink being delivered and Myrna taking the first sip did anyone else approach the table. Jessica Wongso was filmed arriving at the cafe lobby at 3.30pm she then made her way into the main dining area to choose a table for her group. But there was something odd about her movements that seemed unnatural. She walked around the room in a somewhat suspicious manner, looking around as though she was scoping the place out. At one point, she looked directly at one of the security cameras. The table Jessica eventually chose, table number 54, was located towards the back of the cafe where the closest camera was obscured by a large pot filled with indoor plants. However, another camera at the opposite side of the restaurant provided a direct, albeit grainy view. This camera captured Jessica as she sat down in the booth and placed the three gift bags from Bath and Body Works on top of the table, arranging them in a line. When the waiter placed a menu plate at the end of the table, Jessica picked it up and placed it parallel to the gift bags. Once the drinks arrived, the bags essentially acted as a barrier, obstructing the drinks from the view of the camera on the other side of the room. Police couldn't see exactly what Jessica was doing behind the gift bags, but at one stage she made some movements as though she was taking something out of her handbag. She later moved the iced coffee cup around, placing it further down the table to where Myrna would eventually sit. Minutes before Myrna and Hani arrived, she put the gift bags on the floor. Once Myrna took a sip of the iced coffee, she began exhibiting symptoms almost immediately, waving her hands in front of her face as though trying to cool herself down. After she collapsed and the staff rushed over to help, a panic stricken Hani called Myrna's husband a reef on her mobile to let him know what was happening and to ask if Myrna had any pre existing health conditions that could explain what was going on. While all of this was happening, Jessica stood back from the crowd, watching on with little emotion while rubbing her hands together. This was a significant moment for the police. When cyanide comes into contact with the skin, it causes irritation, itching and and a dermatological condition known as cyanide rash. Based on the footage, they began to theorise that Jessica had invited Mina out for a drink with the intention of poisoning her. Beyond the cafe staff. There was simply no other person who had the opportunity to tamper with Myrna's drink. It also explained why Jessica had arrived so much earlier than her friends and why she'd offered to buy their drinks in advance. Furthermore, after Myrna died, Jessica had sent Myrna's twin sister Sandy, a message asking if her family had received the results of Myrna's lab tests yet. She also sent Sandy a link to a news story about fake coffee containing cyanide that was being sold in Vietnam and suggested that's what could have happened to Myrna. From the way Jessica had surveyed the restaurant, the police believed she'd arrived early so she could scope out the locations of the security cameras and choose a table that was out of their view. She then purchased the items from Bath and Body Works, so the gift bags would provide an added layer of protection while she stealthily slipped the cyanide into Myrna's iced coffee, getting some on her hands in the process. A review of the WhatsApp messages sent between the friend group revealed that Jessica had asked if there was a medical clinic inside the shopping mall. She claimed she needed to get a prescription for vitamin D, but investigators suspected there could be a more sinister reason for her query. What if she was checking to make sure there wouldn't be a doctor on site who could administer first aid to Myrna and potentially save her life? The problem was, the cameras hadn't actually captured Jessica putting anything into Myrna's drink, and no traces of cyanide had been found at their table. Jessica had been summoned to the police station for an interview after the toxicology tests came back, and she'd appeared calm the whole time, saying nothing that incriminated her in Myrna's murder. She had no criminal record in Indonesia and told the police she'd never had any trouble with the law. A search of her parents home in Jakarta didn't turn up any evidence of cyanide, nor was there any trace of the poison found in Jessica's handbag. However, when police asked Jessica for the clothing she had been wearing on the day Myrna died, she told them she had thrown the pants away. She said they'd gotten a hole in them on the way to the hospital and had asked her maid to get rid of them. Police seized a computer, documents and tissues from Jessica's house, but found nothing that tied her to the poisoning. Then there was the obvious question of what motive Jessica could possibly have to want Myrna dead. Not only did she claim they were good friends, but an examination of text Messages sent between the two showed nothing but a typical female friendship, and no one in their social circle knew of any overt friction between them. They also didn't think of Jessica as a violent or dangerous person. Most knew her to be bubbly and a bit goofy, not the kind to commit such a callous crime. Police spoke to Myrna's husband, Arif Simarco, to see what he knew about Jessica and Myrna's relationship. The only thing Arif could think of was a minor incident that Myrna had told him about back in October 2014, roughly 14 months before she died. Having returned to Sydney for a holiday, Myrna had caught up with Jessica for a coffee. As they chatted, Jessica told Myrna about some problems she was having with her boyfriend at the time, a man named Patrick o'. Connor. She apparently said that Patrick could be rough with her and that he had some problems with the drugs. Myrna had never met Patrick, but she didn't like the sound of him and couldn't fathom what Jessica saw in him. According to A Reef, Myrna could be very upfront about her opinions and she told Jessica not to be stupid. She told Jessica to think about her future and urged her to end the relationship. Jessica didn't like what she heard and had reportedly stormed out of the restaurant. Arif said that Myrna became wary of Jessica after that and no longer wanted to meet up with her one on one. When Jessica returned to Jakarta in December 2015, one month before Myrna died, Arif joined Myrna when the two women had first caught up for coffee. He and Myrna had only recently tied the knot in Bali and they were still riding the wave of newlywed bliss. Jessica hadn't been invited to the wedding, but if she held any grudges about this, she made no mention of it. While these minor incidents indicated that things weren't completely rosy between the two friends, it still didn't suggest why Jessica Wongso would want Myrna Salihin dead or how she'd managed to pull off such an elaborate plot. For the average citizen, cyanide isn't exactly easy to come by. Although it's a naturally occurring chemical found in many plants such as apple seeds, almonds and tapioca, the level of cyanide found in the foods we consume is very low. It's the man made version available in gas, liquid and solid form that's fast acting and highly lethal. Cyanide is illegal in Indonesia and police could find no evidence of Jessica having sourced or attempting to source it from anywhere. However, that didn't mean it wasn't possible. In Indonesia, it was once a common practice to catch fish using cyanide. Fishermen would add a small amount of the chemical to waterways to stun fish and send them floating to the surface. Although this practice had become illegal, the laws were minimally enforced and it wasn't difficult to buy cyanide from illegal sellers. If Jessica had managed to source the cyanide, police considered how she could have gotten the cyanide into the iced coffee. According to Olivier staff, it was cafe policy that all straws be served alongside drinks with a paper sheath at the top for hygiene purposes. Yet some staff members recalled that the sheath had been removed from Myrna's straw and placed into her iced coffee before she arrived. Police wondered whether Jessica could have come prepared with the cyanide laced straw, which she swapped over with the cafe straw. Either that or she could have placed the cyanide into the drink in some other way and then unsheathed the straw to stir it in. The straw Myrna drank from had been thrown away, so neither of these theories could be tested. Regardless of how she'd managed to do it, police felt confident enough with the circumstantial evidence they'd gathered that on Friday, January 29, 2016, they publicly declared Myrna Sullihin's death a murder and named Jessica Wongso as a suspect. The following morning, they went to Jessica's parents house to formally place her under arrest, only to find that no one was there. The police tracked her down to a hotel room in North Jakarta where she was staying with her parents and in possession of her luggage. Fearing that Jessica was trying to flee the country, they charged her with Myrna's murder and placed her in custody without bail. As news spread about Jessica's arrest, many were quick to question her unusually calm demeanour. When fronting the press, Jessica smiled for the cameras outside the police station, raising further suspicion against her. In the eyes of the public, the murder charge carried the possibility of a death sentence, making her seemingly upbeat attitude difficult to reconcile. In the eyes of Myrna's family, Jessica seemed to be enjoying the attention. They supported Jessica being given the death sentence, with Myrna's twin Sister Sandy telling Australia's 60 Minutes program, I would like to see justice for my sister. Eye for an eye, life for a life. But when the prosecutors were handed the brief of evidence, they were reluctant to proceed to trial. While the police case against Jessica Wongso was compelling, it relied almost entirely on the grainy CCTV footage, statements from cafe staff and Jessica's strange behaviour on the day of Myrna's death. There was still nothing to suggest how Jessica could have sourced the cyanide, no clear indication as to how she could have administered it, and no information about her mental state at the time. Prosecutors returned the brief to police, requesting more information before the trial could go ahead. Given that Jessica had spent roughly the past eight years in Australia, the Indonesian police knew very little about her past. All they had was her statement that she'd never been in trouble with the law. They considered whether Jessica could have sourced the cyanide in Australia and brought it over when she returned to Jakarta. They reached out to the Australian Federal Police to see if they could shed any light, but AFP agents were hesitant to cooperate. Australia doesn't have the death penalty for convicted murderers, whereas Indonesia does. Given that Jessica was an Australian resident, they wanted to protect her from that possibility. The AFP agreed to help with the investigation on the condition that the death penalty be taken off the table. The Indonesian prosecutors agreed and the confidential files were handed over. As the Indonesian investigators cast their eye over the information, it quickly became clear there was more to Jessica Wongso than they had first realised. Casefile will be back shortly. Thank you for supporting us by listening to this episode's sponsors. If you've been paying attention lately, you've probably noticed everyone talking about getting more fibre and protein to boost their health. Herobred makes that easier without having to change your routine. You can swap it into your usual bagel sandwiches, avocado toast or your weekly Taco Tuesday or burger night. Olivia Lavois, host of the Casefile Presents series the Bakersfield 3, is a big fan of Herobred. She wants to prioritise getting more protein and Herobred makes it easy. She can enjoy all her usual meals while boosting her intake simply by swapping in Herobred. It tastes great and supports her macro goals without sacrificing flavour. Get the soft, fluffy texture you know and love. Whether you're packing wraps for lunch or toasting a 19 gram protein breakfast bagel with Herobread, all of your favourite recipes are covered. No compromises, just flavour. This year, hit your goals without giving up your favourite bready dishes. Herobred is offering 10% off your order. Go to Hero Co and use code casefile at checkout. That's casefilehero Co.
- [32:27]
MeUndies Advertiser
Flowers die in three days. Matching underwear from Meundies. That's a gift that lasts. Meundies creates matching prints for couples and friends. Same adorable designs and different cuts for each of you. All made from their signature ultramodal fabric that feels impossibly soft. With 30 million pairs sold and 90,000 five star reviews, MeUndies matching prints are the perfect gift. Valentine's Day is February 14th, so don't wait. Get exclusive deals up to 50% off at Meundies.com acast code acast that's Meundies.com acast Code acast hi, this is Matt.
- [33:02]
eBay Advertiser
From P1 with Matt and Tommy and this episode is sponsored by ebay. The cars you'll find on ebay are just different. They come with a story that you can't wait to share. Like this 1973 Dodge Charger on ebay that has been tucked away in an Arizona Barn for over 40 years. Only 55,000 miles and somehow in great running order, it even has a rare sunroof. Suddenly a car that was hidden for decades is being delivered in just a few clicks with ebay's secure purchase. All the paperwork handled. There are thousands of cars on ebay, from unique finds like the Pontiac Grand Prix SJ to daily drivers. And now with a new way to buy them. Ebay Things People love.
- [33:48]
Casefile Narrator
Thank you for listening to this episode's ads. By supporting our sponsors, you support Casefile to continue to deliver quality content. While little was known about Jessica Wongso's early days in Sydney, the year leading up to Myrna Salihin's death had been a tumultuous one for the then 26 year old. Police records revealed that Jessica had been working as a graphic designer for the New South Wales Ambulance Service when things began to unravel in her personal life. It all started in January 2015 when her boyfriend at the time, an Australian man named Patrick o', Connor, tried to end their relationship. According to Patrick, Jessica began sending him countless text and voice messages in which she threatened to hurt herself. She went ahead with that threat in late January 2015 and was subsequently hospitalised for self harm. This destructive behaviour continued to escalate over the following months. In October 2015, Patrick called the police to Jessica's flat after she tried to poison herself with carbon monoxide from a small coal barbecue. She was hospitalised but released shortly after. A few weeks later, police were called to the flat again. This time Jessica was unconscious in bed with a bottle of whisky and three letters by her side. One of the letters was addressed to her family and one was addressed to her co workers saying her goodbyes. The other letter blamed Patrick for her death. In November 2015, two months before Myrna's death. Patrick contacted the police after discovering that his car had been destroyed by a vandal. Although he couldn't prove who was responsible, he felt confident it was Jessica. Not only had she been harassing him, but his friends too. Fearing for their safety, Patrick sought an urgent apprehended violence order against Jessica, hoping that a court issued restraining order would deter her from further harassment. He described Jessica as unstable and although there was no evidence for police to charge her with damaging the CAR, the urgent AVO request was granted with a court hearing set for February 2016 to formally put it in place. Around the same time that Patrick's car was vandalised, Jessica was fired from her job with the New South Wales Ambulance Service. As part of the investigation into Myrna Selihan's suspected murder, police interviewed Jessica's former boss, a woman named Christy Carter. Christy told the police that during the eight months she'd spent working with the Jessica, she'd seen two very different sides of her personality. While Jessica could be kind and loved to smile, she was also quick to anger if things didn't go her way. Kristi described Jessica as being manipulative, dishonest, hateful and bad tempered. She said she wasn't surprised to hear that she was being accused of poisoning her friend, telling police, I have observed her for the past eight months and from her attitude, hatred and nature of her craziness, I have no doubt that she is capable of hurting or killing another person. Christy had gone to visit Jessica in the hospital after her suicide attempt in October 2015. Jessica was furious because the doctors were refusing to discharge her. She said something along the lines of, the bastards in this hospital will not let me go home and they are treating me like a killer, but if I wanted to kill someone, I certainly know how to do it. I could get a gun and I know the right dosage. After Jessica lost her job with the ambulance service, she asked for Christy's help in finding a new place to live. When Christie refused, Jessica allegedly threatened to kill both Christy and Christie's mother. Christy told the police she had no idea how Jessica could have obtained the cyanide that was used to kill Myrna, but she didn't doubt the possibility. When Jessica wants something to happen, Christy said, it could happen. All up. Jessica Wongso had reportedly been hospitalised for four suicide attempts in the months leading up to Mina's death. Combined with the allegations from Patrick o' Connor and the comments she allegedly made to Kristy Carter, this gave Indonesian authorities their first real insight into Jessica's psychological state. Leading up to to the supposed crime. But it was a police report from August 2015 that really caught their attention. On the night of Saturday, August 22, 2015, emergency services were called to a nursing home in the Sydney suburb of Leichardt after a car plunged through the brick facade just metres from where dozens of elderly residents were sleeping. Police arrived to find Jessica Wongso behind the wheel in what they believed to be an intoxicated state. She was taken to the hospital but managed to escape with minor injuries to her ribs and chest. No one else was hurt in the accident. Jessica was charged with a high range drink driving offence, further adding to her problems, according to confidential police files released exclusively by ABC's 7:30 program. In the lead up to her trip to Jakarta at the end of 2015, Jessica sent a text message to a friend saying she was considering fleeing Australia to avoid paying over $15,000 she owed in fines and legal fees. I could use the money to have an epic holiday, she wrote. Have new licences anywhere where my dad got power too, rather than giving money to those police ignorant cunts. In another message, she wrote, I'm being pushed again and again. I'll break. For the Indonesian prosecutors, the files handed over by the Australian Federal Police were exactly what they needed to pursue the murder charge against Jessica. In their view, it proved that she was becoming more emotionally unstable and increasingly aggressive in the lead up to Myrna's death. Her harmful behaviour, once directed at herself, was now turned toward others. It also turned out that Jessica had been fired just days after Mina and Arif got married. A wedding she had not been invited to. Prosecutors believed the culmination of these events could have led her to direct her anger towards Myrna. As Myrna's twin Sister Sandy told 60 Minutes, I think Jessica is jealous of Myrna because Myrna had a good life and a good future ahead of her. And maybe Jessica's life is crap all up. The brief of evidence was sent back and forth between the police and prosecutors five times over a three and a half month period before the Jakarta High Prosecutor's office finally determined that there was enough evidence for the case to proceed to trial. This was major news in Indonesia, where the story had been making headlines from the outset. While the police had been gathering evidence against Jessica, speculation had been rampant about who else could have possibly been responsible responsible for Myrna Selehin's death. Although no one else was ever formally investigated for the murder, that didn't stop the rumour mill from running wild. One of Jessica's lawyers claimed that someone could have taken out a life insurance policy against Myrna overseas in which they stood to gain US$5 million in the event she was murdered. Without elaborating on this possibility, he said that Jessica was being used as a scapegoat, asking why is Jessica the only person targeted in this case when it is possible that other persons were involved? These comments led to public suspicion against Myrna's husband, Arif Simarco, with some speculating that he was the one who stood to gain from such a life insurance policy. Some publications reported that Arif could have co conspired with Olivier's barista Ranga Saputra by paying him to spike Myrna's drink. One tabloid journalist claimed that on the day before Myrna died, he was in the car park of a shopping mall when he saw a man who looked like Arif Samarco pass a package to Ranga Saputra, the implication being that the package could have contained either cash or the cyanide that was used to kill Myrna. Arif vehemently denied such rumours and publicly accused the journalist of slander, while Myrna's father reported Jessica's lawyer for defamation for his unfounded statements regarding the life insurance policy. Meanwhile, others theorised that Myrna and Jessica could have been having a secret lesbian relationship during their time together in Australia. Myrna's marriage to Arif tipped Jessica over the edge and led her to poison Myrna in a jealous rage. Myrna's friends and family denied that she was ever involved in a same sex relationship, but that didn't discount the possibility that Jessica could have had romantic feelings towards her. Myrna's father publicly claimed to have seen a series of text messages that Jessica had sent Myrna which he believed carried romantic connotations, fuelling rumours that Jessica could have killed Mina out of rejection. A forensic hypnotist who interviewed Jessica and examined the messages sent between the pair told ABC's 7:30 there was no evidence to support the theory that the two women were lovers, but the rumour prevailed regardless. Some also speculated that Arif and Jessica could have been having an affair, an allegation they both strongly denied and for which no evidence existed. For the average Indonesian, watching the story play out was compared to watching a real life soap opera. In a country where the majority of the population reportedly lives on less than US$4 a day, the same price as a cup of coffee from Olivier Cafe. The salacious story of murder and revenge among the wealthy urban classic had people gripped with the Jessica and Myrna's families pitted against one another. Unfounded rumours swirled that the murder was part of a business rivalry between the two families. As writer Johannes Nagroho explained in an article for Foreign Policy magazine, while the two families do not make the list of Indonesia's top 10 richest, they are filthy rich by the urban wealthy standards, at least rich enough to buy the law. The fight between them is a drama that even those convinced of Wong Tso's innocence can enjoy. Indonesians have a proverb that when two elephants clash, the mouse deer caught in between is doomed. In Sally Hinn's murder case, however, two elephants are locked in a struggle while the tiny mouse deer get to be the spectators. For the average Indonesian, this is a moment of sweet irony. Watching giants grapple at each other's throats without being trampled underfoot yourself does not happen a lot in a country where the political and economic elites hold the reins, often at the expense of the rest. Ultimately, tragedies like Salahin's death are seized upon by Indonesians because they expose the vulnerabilities of the country's upper class and bring the hope that things can go awry even for the giants. Interest in the story only strengthened after it was revealed that celebrity lawyer Oto Hezibwan had agreed to take on Jessica's defence case pro bono. Many were disappointed by his decision to do so. With the Jessica's trial approaching, a majority of Indonesians were convinced she was guilty and they didn't approve of Oto's decision to defend a killer. But as Oto later told Netflix, he had been scheduled to go on an Alaskan cruise with his family when he received a visit from Jessica's mother, saying that her daughter had been treated unfairly and pleading with him to take on the case. Oto met with Jessica and agreed to help on one condition. If at any point he became convinced that she was guilty of murdering Myrna Salihin, he would resign from the case. Jessica agreed without hesitation. Oto was one of 15 lawyers on Jessica's legal team. As they looked further into the case, they discovered that all wasn't as it seemed in the trial by media. First and foremost, there was the question of why Jessica would have chosen Olivier Cafe as the place to commit a murder. Not only was it a popular busy spot, but if Jessica was aware of the CCTV cameras like investigators asserted, then why wouldn't she have simply chosen a quieter location that didn't have any security cameras? The fact that Jessica had arrived at Olivier Cafe an hour and a half ahead of the agreed upon meeting time. Time was viewed as proof that she'd come to scope the place out in preparation for Myrna's murder. But according to Jessica, she only arrived so early because of the three in one traffic rule that was in place in Jakarta at the time. To avoid congestion on the roads of the densely populated city, only cars with three or more passengers were allowed to use the main roads during peak periods. She said she'd only arrived early because she had to, not because she wanted to. Much had also been made about Jessica's decision to order her friend's drinks ahead of time, with the implication being that she did this so she could slip the cyanide into Myrna's drink. But Jessica claimed that she'd ordered the drinks, expecting them to be served by the time Mina and Hani arrived. WhatsApp messages sent between the group at the time confirmed that Myrna and Hani had been running late that afternoon. If Myrna and Hani had arrived on time like Jessica expected, her defence team pointed out that she wouldn't have had the opportunity to administer the cyanide. The messages also showed that Jessica told Myrna she was going to order the Vietnamese iced coffee for her ahead of time. To which Myrna agreed. For the defence team, Jessica's message to Myrna's twin sister Sandy about the lab results wasn't an attempt to see if she'd been caught, but because she was genuinely curious to know how her friend had died. The article she'd sent Sandy about cyanide laced coffee being sold in Vietnam wasn't an indication that Jessica knew Myrna had been poisoned with cyanide either, but simply proved that she was looking for any possible information about what might have happened to her friend. The fact that Jessica was staying in a hotel with packed suitcases at the time of her arrest wasn't an indication that she intended to flee the country. She and her parents had moved there to escape the throngs of journalists who had camped outside of their home. With no evidence to suggest how Jessica could have sourced the cyanide and no footage of her removing anything from her handbag or putting anything into the iced coffee, her defence team questioned the validity of the prosecution's case entirely. The timing of the so called suspicious movements that Jessica had made behind the gift bags coincided with a text message that she had sent to Myrna. They believed that any movement she made could be attributed to that. And they didn't think there was anything suspicious about the gift bags either. Jessica claimed she had simply wanted to buy her friends a present. As for her unusually composed demeanour after Myrna's death and when fronting reporters, Jessica explained that she was generally a calm person and she didn't want to show her true emotions in front of the cameras. Confused about how to deal with the whole saga, she said she wanted to bury the memory of what happened on January 6. But above all, there was one major detail that the defence team couldn't get past. The lethal oral dose of cyanide for a human of Myrna's weight was around 1171 milligrams. Toxicology testing of the Vietnamese iced coffee handed over by staff at Olivier Cafe detected 7,400mg per litre of cyanide in the glass served to Myrna and 7900mg per litre in the water bottle into which staff had poured the remaining liquid after the incident. However, toxicology tests conducted on samples taken From Myrna's body 70 minutes after she died had revealed no traces of cyanide in her gastric fluid, bile or urine. Further samples taken three days after she died had revealed just 0.2 milligrams per litre of cyanide in her stomach. Not only was this incredibly low dose not enough to be fatal, but no cyanide was detected in her bowel or liver, which would be expected in a case of cyanide poisoning. Her skin also hadn't shown a reddish hue, which is another tell tale sign of cyanide poisoning. By the time those second samples had been taken, Myrna's body had already been embalmed. Jessica's defence team spoke to at least two forensic pathologists who explained that the low levels of cyanide detected in Myrna's stomach could have been produced post mortem, possibly during the embalming process. Because her family hadn't approved a full autopsy, none of her organs, such as her brain, lungs or heart, had been tested. And without these tests, the forensic pathologists said it couldn't be proven that Mina hadn't died from natural causes. This was a huge piece of information for the defence. If Myrna hadn't been poisoned, it explained why Hani and the cafe staff who tasted the iced coffee hadn't fallen sick despite the high levels of cyanide found in the drink. As far as the defence was concerned, the only way to explain the lack of cyanide in Myrna's system was was that the cyanide had been added to the drink after Myrna drank it. Casefile will be back shortly. Thank you for supporting us by listening to this episode's sponsors.
- [55:27]
Instacart Advertiser
It's the New Year and Instacart is here for whatever your new routine looks like. Maybe it's committing to the after work workout, or trying plant based recipes or just having fresh ingredients in the fridge. Because with Instacart you get time back. You can filter shopping by dietary preferences and never run out of what you need. So whatever your new year plan is, Instacart is here to make it just a little more possible. Download the Instacart app today. Actual dietary information may vary. Always check product packaging.
- [55:56]
Amazon Pharmacy Advertiser
We will answer your call as soon as we can.
- [55:59]
Quo Advertiser
Are you still running your business? With one creaky old phone system, missing calls, losing track of messages, and scrambling to keep up with your team, it's time to break up with the past and say hello to Quo. Quo is the number one business phone system with 4.7 stars across 3,000 reviews on G2, Quo brings all your business phone calls and texts into one app for your team. No more juggling devices or being tied to a landline. Huo's built in AI logs calls, creates summaries, automates follow ups, and can even answer and route calls so you never miss an opportunity. Whether you're a solo operator or leading a growing team, Quo keeps you connected and helps you deliver standout customer experiences. Join over 90,000 businesses using Quo and see why it's the number one business phone system for customer satisfaction. Level up your workflow with quo. Get started free plus get 20% off your first six months at quo.com business that's quo spelled q u o.com business and if you have existing numbers with another service, quo will port them over for free. Quo no missed calls, no missed customers.
- [57:13]
Casefile Narrator
Thank you for listening to this episode's ads. By supporting our sponsors, you support Casefile to continue to deliver quality content. By the time Jessica Wongso's highly anticipated trial for the murder of Mirna Salihin commenced in June 2016, it had been dubbed Indonesia's trial of the Century. In terms of public interest, it was likened to the O.J. simpson murder trial in the United States, with the topic of Jessica's possible guilt deemed a national obsession. Camera crews filled the courthouse with three television stations set to broadcast around the clock live feed of the proceedings, complete with commentaries. Indonesia operates under a civil law system. In criminal trials, there is no jury. Instead, a team of public prosecutors goes head to head with a defence team while a panel of three judges determines the fate of the Accused the proceedings are inquisitorial in nature, meaning the judges are allowed to question witnesses directly. They sit at the head of the room while witnesses sit alone in a chair in the centre of the court and the two legal teams are placed at either side. During opening arguments, the prosecution team presented their theory that a jealous Jessica Wongso had been motivated to kill Myrna Salahin to avenge the pain she felt over her breakup with Patrick o'. Connor. They believed Jessica had arrived at Olivier Cafe armed with the cyanide and intentionally chose a table out of view of the security cameras, where she used the three gift bags to further shield what she was about to do. Ordering the drinks before her friend's arrival, she administered the cyanide behind the bags and then watched on with barely feigned concern as the poison took its toll on Myrna. The defence team argued there was no evidence to prove any such claims. One of her lawyers stated, it does not make sense that Jessica flew all the way from Australia to Indonesia to murder Myrna. It also does not make sense that Jessica would murder Mina because she had once asked Jessica to end her relationship with her boyfriend at the time. Turning to the judges, he asked, why is Jessica the only one suspected of murder when she did not do anything unusual and nobody witnessed her putting cyanide into the coffee? The defence said the possibility that someone else was responsible for the poisoning couldn't be discounted. A bartender from Olivier Cafe testified to having poured Myrna's iced coffee into an empty water bottle and handing it over to the police for testing. While some staff members recalled that the glass had then been secured in cling wrap and handed to the police too. The bartender testified that he had returned the empty glass to the cafe pantry. Oto Hesibuan pointed out that the police proof of evidence said that cyanide was found in the water bottle as well as the coffee glass. If the bartender's testimony was correct, then what glass had police used for testing? The police had also asked Olivier's manager to provide them with a glass of Vietnamese iced coffee. They could compare to Myrna's Dr. As well as another empty water bottle that they could pour the comparison beverage into. Therefore, if the bartender had misremembered, the police should have had two glasses and two bottles. Yet their brief of evidence inexplicably mentioned just one bottle and two glasses. Given these inconsistencies and the fact that no one else who tasted the drink became severely ill, the defence said it couldn't be ruled out that either the cafe staff or the police could have added the cyanide to the iced coffee after Myrna drank it, but before it was tested. This wasn't an outlandish allegation to make. The Indonesian legal system is notoriously corrupt, with judges and prosecutors known to take bribes from people in positions of power. Rumours had circulated that Myrna's father could have worked with the police to secure a conviction against Jessica at any cost necessary. Although there was absolutely no evidence to support such an allegation, talk of corruption had surrounded the case from the very beginning. The defence also pointed out that Olivier's barista, Ranga Suputra, had disposed of the hot water from the kettle that had been used to make Myrna's iced coffee. They suggested this could have been a deliberate move to ensure the water couldn't be tested for cyanide. Lawyer Oto Hasaboan claimed to have seen a police file with a confession from Ranga Saputra in which he admitted he was hired to kill Myrna, but that this file had mysteriously disappeared. Taking the witness stand, Ranga denied having gotten rid of the hot water that had been used to make Myrna's iced coffee. He then changed his mind and said he wasn't sure if he had. This inconsistency raised some eyebrows about his credibility. But when asked if he'd accepted any money from Myrna's husband, Arif Samarco, to commit the murder, Ranga vehemently denied it. At the time of the trial, he was still employed at Olivier Cafe. If I received the money, I would have quit my job, he stated. The prosecution said it didn't matter if the hot water used to make the iced coffee had been disposed of. Experts testified that if the cyanide was put into hot water, the resulting steam would have given off a strong smell of burnt almonds. And in an enclosed space like the cafe, others who inhaled the steam would have also been poisoned. Given that no one else was affected and even Jessica claimed that the coffee had smelt normal, the cyanide had to have been put into the drink when it was already cold, and the only one who went anywhere near the drink when it was cold was Jessica. Arif Simarco also rejected the allegation that he'd conspired to have Myrna killed, saying he'd never met Ranga before in his life. He testified about how angry Jessica had been at Myrna for suggesting she break up with her boyfriend, and how this had led to Myrna becoming afraid of Jessica's anger and not wanting to meet her alone. Jessica's anger issues were further solidified by the comments she allegedly made to her former boss in Sydney, Kristy Carter. While Kristi didn't give evidence, her statement detailing Jessica's suicide attempts, her threats to kill Christie and her mother, and her comments that she knew the right dosage to kill someone were read to the court. These comments appeared to lend further weight to testimony provided by several psychologists who described Jessica as being intelligent and confident, with a narcissistic personality and a huge impulse to be at the centre of attention. One clinical psychologist who had interviewed Jessica shortly after her arrest said that she was calm in situations where she could anticipate what was coming next. But it was when something unexpected happened that her emotions ignited. Having studied the CCTV footage from Olivier Cafe, this psychologist believed that Jessica showed no signs of panic when Myrna collapsed. Even when Jessica walked over to fetch some water for Myrna, she didn't hurry. A criminologist from the University of Jakarta testified that he'd interviewed Jessica twice at the police station, during which he'd used physiognomy, the practice of assessing a person's character based on their outer appearance. Studying Jessica's facial features and expressions while they spoke, he determined that she had a narcissistic personality and a great desire to be loved. While he didn't find her to have psychopath traits, he did find her to be emotionally unstable, spiteful and unable to tolerate criticism. A criminologist for the defence team refuted that. A criminologist has no place examining an individ individual's gestures without assistance from a psychologist. She told the judges. Physiognomy is only used to describe potential offences or people who have the potential to commit a crime. It can't be used to determine whether someone is guilty. But the major argument for Jessica's innocence stemmed from the results of the toxicology testing, in which only small traces of cyanide were detected in Myrna's stomach several days after her death. The forensic pathologist who examined Myrna's body testified that her stomach and esophagus had turned black, which clearly indicated that she had been poisoned using a very toxic substance. A police toxicology expert told the court that after his expert team conducted a series of tests, he had no doubt that Myrna was killed by the cyanide. But Dr. Jaya Soyaradmaja, a forensic pathologist from the University of Indonesia, testified for the defence that these traces of cyanide in Myrna's stomach had probably come from the embalming chemicals that were used to preserve her body and that there was nothing to disprove that Myrna hadn't died from natural causes. If you don't check all the organs, you can't determine the cause of death. Dr. Admaja stated to the court, that's forensics dogma. We wouldn't know whether Myrna had a stroke, for example, unless you examined her brain. Would the lungs be infected with certain diseases or not? Not to mention the heart. All of these are potential causes of death. Dr. Atmaja also said that one of the tell tale signs of cyanide poisoning is a red discolouration of the skin. When Mina was first brought into the morgue, he said her skin was blue. However, once the news got out that she had died from cyanide poisoning, the photos circulated online and her skin was clearly red. The red tinged photos had been submitted to the court by Myrna's father earlier that day. According to Dr. Atmaja, those photos could have been easily altered, a claim that caused commotion in the courtroom and provoked Mina's father to stand up in shock and voice his outrage. Two other forensic pathologists from Australia supported Dr. Atmaj's testimony that the low levels of cyanide found in Myrna's stomach couldn't rule out the possibility that she had died from natural causes. One said, if you take the toxicology results as they are and the explanation that the very low level of the gastric content was due to post mortem changes, then it is impossible in my view to conclude that the death was due to cyanide poisoning. The less than optimal quality autopsy has failed in its primary duty to the deceased and her family, the accused and the justice system, which is to provide as definitively as possible a cause of death. Another stated plainly, these toxicology results show there is no evidence of cyanide ingestion. By the time Jessica Wongso took the stand in her own defence, the trial had gone on for three and a half months. Hearings had run from morning to night, with some going as late as 2am While it had been an exhausting time for all involved, the defence's evidence appeared to be having an impact on public perception. Jessica had gained more supporters, with many viewing the trial as a farce in which the prosecution was relying on flimsy and unreliable evidence. Others were more convinced of her guilt than ever and resented the defence team's decision to call upon Australian expert witnesses instead of fellow Indonesians. One of the forensic pathologists was even arrested for misusing his tourist visa to testify at the trial and deported to Australia. It was pointed out that nobody seemed to care when this same pathologist had used a tourist visa when he'd been asked to help identify victims of the Bali bombing terrorist attacks back in 2002. As Jessica took her seat in front of the panel of judges, she maintained her trademark calm and composed demeanor. She denied that the conversation in which Myrna had supposedly told her to break up with Patrick had ever even happened, saying she hadn't ever told Mina anything about her relationship. I just told Mina I was close with one guy, she told the judges. I didn't even tell her Patrick's name. One of the prosecutors asked, how could a reef know Patrick's name when you never told Myrna about him? Unfazed, Jessica told the judge he would have to ask Arif that. She also said that 90% of the allegations made by her former boss, Kristy Carter were untrue. Jessica dispelled the rumors that she was a lesbian, stating a lot of the experts statements are untrue and I want to say it firmly that I'm only interested in men in the past, now and in the future. Jessica said she hadn't lied when she told Mina's father that she had ordered mineral water at the cafe that day. Mina had asked for some after tasting the bad coffee and CCTV footage captured Jessica going to get it for her. It just wasn't noted on their bill. She also rejected the claims that Myrna was reluctant or scared to meet with her alone, saying it was Myrna who had initiated several of their catch ups in Sydney. Some compared Jessica's calm demeanour to that of Amanda Knox, an American woman who was wrongfully convicted of murdering her housemate Meredith Kercher, as covered in episode 270 of Casefile. Instead of appearing nervous or intimidated, some thought Jessica was mocking the prosecutors. When one of them asked her whether Vietnamese iced coffee is served hot or cold, Jessica asked sarcastically, well, what do you think? A moment that went viral on social media. Her attitude while giving her testimony only divided members of the public further. As Yohannes Negrojo explained in his article for Foreign Policy, while Jessica's sometimes contemptuous demeanour in court may have won hearts among the middle class, it could only aggravate her image with those prejudiced against her. From the outset, Jessica told the judges she was being vilified by the prosecutors and the press, who had made her entire personal life a topic of discussion. If she acted calm, she was interpreted as being a cold blooded murderer. But if she cried or showed emotion that was Criticised too. Whatever I do is wrong, jessica said. In closing arguments, prosecutors demanded that Jessica be given a 20 year sentence for the sorrow she had caused Myrna's loved ones. They called her sadistic and cruel to have intentionally killed her friend in a way that would have caused great pain and pointed out that she had shown no remorse. The defence countered that Jessica had shown no remorse because she had not committed the crime. After almost five months of hearings, on Thursday, October 27, 2016, the judges delivered their verdict. They concluded there were only three parties that could have possibly put the cyanide in Mina's drink. Olivier, staff, the police, or Jessica Wongso. They ruled out the cafe staff on the basis that the iced coffee had looked completely normal in the CCTV footage and that no other patrons in the cafe had smelt burned almonds or collapsed, supporting the notion that the cyanide had been put in the coffee after it was already cold. Furthermore, the judges believed it was logical to assume that a guilty staff member would have immediately disposed of any evidence rather than handing it over to the police. The fact that Myrna had complained about the taste of the coffee and waved her hand in front of her mouth after drinking it, coupled with the fact that Hani and at least two staff members tasted the coffee and noted it as foul, meant the cyanide was in there before the police arrived. This proved to the judges that the police had not tampered with the evidence or added the cyanide to the coffee after confiscating it with the cafe staff and police ruled out. That just left one explanation. Jessica Wongso was the one who ordered the iced coffee. She was the one who placed the gift bags on the table to obscure the view of the cameras. And she was the only one who had access to the beverage before Myrna drank it. For the premeditated murder of Myrna Salihin, the judges found Jessica Wongso guilty and sentenced her to 20 years in prison. Myrna's loved ones broke down in tears of relief while Jessica maintained her composure. She looked at the judge and said, thank you, your Honour. I don't accept the verdict. Her lawyer, Oto Hasaboan, was shaken. He told the court, because the judge's decision is unfair, biased and definitely not according to the law. This trial has sounded the death knell for justice. As a result, we firmly announce that we'll file an appeal. With that, a round of applause and cheering erupted outside court. Mina's father told reporters that even though he hoped Jessica would get the death sentence, he respected the judge's decision. The most important thing is that it has been proven that Jessica has killed Myrna, he said. Jessica's legal team immediately filed an appeal, arguing that the judges had ignored key evidence that cast significant doubt on whether Mina had actually died from cyanide poisoning and if she had, whether Jessica was the perpetrator. They argued that the testimony from Jessica's former boss and the CCTV footage taken from Olivier Cafe should never have been admitted in court. The prosecution hadn't aired the original footage, only a police copy, and the original had never been given to the defence. They argued that the footage could have been tampered with or certain frames could have been deleted. Jessica's appeal was rejected by both the High Court and the Supreme Court, sparking further debate about whether or not she had received a fair trial. Many believed that the judges had made their minds up about her guilt from the very beginning and were too quick to believe the prosecution's version of events without adequate evidence to support it. One of the trial judges even said so in an interview with Tempo magazine just days after the verdict was delivered. For me, this case was very simple, he said. The relationship between the defendant and the victim was very close. A person who poisons another person is acquainted with that person. Just look at it from when Jessica came until she ordered a drink. That's the extent of it. The poison was put in when the drink was cold. If cyanide is put into hot water, everyone around would have been poisoned by inhaling the steam. It is as simple as that. Simon Butt is a professor of Indonesian law at the University of Sydney Law School. After examining the case against Jessica Wongso in detail, he concluded that her trial was not fair based on the standards of the Indonesian legal system. He found that police had interrogated Jessica without a lawyer present, searched her parents house without a warrant, detained her without reasonable cause, failed to order a full autopsy to establish Myrna's cause of death, and mishandled, perhaps even contaminated, the coffee they claimed killed Myrna. In the new Criminal Law Review, Professor Simon Butt wrote that procedural irregularities and legal mistakes plagued Wong Tzu's case from the very beginning. He argued that the prosecution fell well short of meeting the evidentiary standard. While the court paid insufficient, arguably no regard to the defence. He suggested the judges may have been swayed to convict due to public pressure, noting they swallowed the prosecution's case and drew strange conclusions from Wong Tso's demeanour without properly addressing significant holes in the evidence. Rejecting the possibility of natural causes, the court instead relied on process of elimination reasoning In 2023, Netflix released a documentary on the contentious case titled Ice Cold Murder, Coffee and Jessica Wongso, which featured exclusive interviews with several important figures, including Mina's father and lawyers from both the prosecution and defence teams. The highly anticipated film propelled the case back into the spotlight and gained international attention, leading to renewed discussion about whether or not Jessica Wongso had been wrongfully convicted. The film put Jessica in a sympathetic light, leading to a shift in public opinion, despite criticism about its lack of journalistic rigour and balance, with some critics labelling the documentary as sensationalistic. The following year, in August 2024, Jessica was granted parole, having served just eight years of her 20 year sentence. Officials said their decision had nothing to do with the Netflix documentary, but was based on Jessica's good behaviour, which included her teaching English and yoga to other prisoners. The now 36 year old walked straight into a press conference saying she didn't have anything planned for her release, but she had forgiven everyone who wronged her. In May 2025, Jessica agreed to participate in an exclusive interview with Australian journalist Liam bartlett for Channel 7's Spotlight program. It was a highly anticipated interview that attracted millions of viewers. As had become her trademark, Jessica didn't appear at all ruffled by any of Liam's direct questions and was able to laugh off or explain away any uncomfortable moments. She also appeared to have backtracked on her claims about her friendship with Myrna, saying, we weren't close at all, it was because we came from the same country. That was why we kind of like know each other. We weren't best friends or anything. Jessica told Liam she never scoped out Olivier Cafe for security cameras and that if the footage made it appear that way, it was only because she was looking around at the place and people. As for the gift bags that she moved around the table, Jessica smiled as she said, that's just me being me, you know, being bored. It really doesn't mean anything at all. She said the fact that the bags shielded the drinks from the security cameras was a pure coincidence. Liam asked to Jessica why she was scratching her hands on the CCTV footage while Mina was getting first aid. Jessica explained it as a habit of hers, stating it's not because it's itchy or something from poison or something like that. Liam jumped in. I'm not saying that, he clarified, you made the suggestion. I'm just saying you're standing there scratching your hands but you're not helping. It was yet another awkward moment that Jessica managed to brush off. She said she had never heard of cyanide before Myrna's death, prompting Liam to point out it was therefore strange that she had contacted Myrna's twin sister the day after Myrna died and asked about the results of the toxicology tests. Jessica explained she knew that samples had been taken and she was simply curious to know how Myrna had died. As for the restraining order her ex boyfriend Patrick had taken out against her, Jessica said the story was complicated and not like it sounds, explaining the relationship was kind of like toxic in a way. We didn't really see eye to eye on a lot of things. Jessica said she had no idea why people said that Myrna was afraid to be alone around her. Asked if she had the potential to be violent, Jessica laughed and said, no, of course not. What would I do? Liam told Jessica he wondered why she didn't get an invite to Myrna and Arif's wedding. She began to stammer, saying, because I was in Australia, I couldn't be bothered to like fly over just to attend their wedding. Liam pressed on, saying, but you didn't get that choice, did you? She didn't invite you. Jessica looked stunned, pausing for a moment before saying, I can't remember. Didn't she invite me? I can't even remember. She burst into giggles when Liam asked her about the time she drove her car into the nursing home. When he said she was lucky that she didn't die, Jessica responded, yeah, do you think I'm lucky? After everything I've been through, you think I'm lucky? Jessica Wongso will be held on parole in Jakarta until 2032. She maintains her innocence in Myrna's murder and has filed a judicial review against her conviction in the hopes that she will be officially exonerated from the crime. In the meantime, Spotlight reported that she is trying to make a living as an influencer with brand deals coming in from beauty, food and tech companies. Indonesia's largest coffee chain, Kanangung Coffee, has even reached out to her about collaborating with them. Jessica told Liam Bartlett she couldn't imagine working a regular office job after everything that she'd been through. When he quipped that no one would trust her to do the coffee run, she laughed heartily. The question of whether or not Jessica Wongso is guilty of murdering Myrna Salihin is still debated. Almost a decade later. Professor Simon Butt stated in his journal article whether she is guilty or innocent, Wong So should not have been convicted, as has been shown, her trial was unfair, as was her treatment by police. Wong so's case illustrates that Indonesia's laws of criminal procedure require an urgent overhaul to better protect the rights of suspects and defendants, though this is unlikely in the foreseeable future. Some view Jessica as an innocent victim of Indonesia's broken justice system, while others see her as a cold blooded and manipulative killer masquerading as the victim. Indonesian news presenter Timothy Mabun, who hosted a daily show covering Jessica's trial for the Compass TV network, likened Jessica to a villain from a film. He told Australia's 60 Minutes, when you watch a movie, when the villain is that good, you don't even want them to die. Myrna Selihin's loved ones have never swayed from their belief that Jessica was responsible for Myrna's death. Her father, Eddie Selihin, told Netflix he is a million percent sure that Jessica is guilty, saying deep inside her something is evil. Myrna's twin sister Sandy, moved to the German countryside with her husband to distance herself from the case and find some peace. Myrna's husband, Arif Simarco, has remarried and no longer publicly discusses the case. However, back in 2016, when Jessica's trial was underway, he fondly told reporters how he had first met Myrna in 2006. They got to know each other over the course of the year before they started dating. Arif cried as he recalled how happy he'd been during their courtship, saying, I was so happy to meet Myrna. She changed my life so much. She also introduced me to God. She was kind to everyone, she didn't discriminate and she treated everyone equally. He proudly recalled watching Myrna in the lead up to their wedding, in awe of her creativity as she designed the small details of their wedding decorations. Arif told reporters that despite the public focus on Jessica, when people follow the case, I always think of Myrna. Sam.
- [90:40]
Verizon Advertiser
Think Verizon is expensive? Think again. Anyone can bring their AT and T or T mobile bill to a Verizon store today and we'll give you a better deal. So bring us your bill, walk in running pogo sticking teleport if you can ride on the back of a rollerblading yak or flying on the wings of a majestic falcon. Any way you can bring your AT and T or T mobile bill to a Verizon store today and we'll give you a better deal on the best network based on RouteMetric's best over overall mobile network performance US 2nd half 2025 all rights reserved. Must provide very recent postpaid consumer mobile bill in the name of the person redeeming the deal. Additional terms conditions and restrictions apply.
- [91:11]
Instacart Advertiser
If you're not using Ironclad for contracts, you could be leaving millions on the table without knowing it. Every contract holds renewal dates, pricing terms, and obligations you can't afford to miss. But good luck finding them when it matters. Ironclad's AI instantly surfaces what matters so you can act before opportunities slip away. That's why they're trusted by OpenAI, L', Oreal, and Salesforce. Find the savings hiding in your contracts@ironcladapp.com podcast that's ironcladapp.com podcast.