Dwi Bagus Martono utilized a camping sleeping bag left in his vehicle to transport the body of Dini Hardiyanti from a Madiun hotel room, detikNews reported on Monday. The 40-year-old suspect carried out the transfer alone, an action briefly witnessed by a hotel office boy as investigators piece together the methodical steps of a multi-location killing.
From a Birthday Celebration to a Planned Murder
The tragedy originated on September 19, 2026, when Dini Hardiyanti and her 4-year-old son, AGF, checked into a hotel in the Madiun Lor area to celebrate the child’s delayed birthday. Investigators state that Dwi Bagus executed the killings on September 20, first dispatching the 30-year-old mother and subsequently targeting the 4-year-old boy because he feared the child would serve as a witness to the murder.
The violence spanned multiple locations across the city. MetroTVNews.com reported that the initial execution of Dini occurred at the Hotel Mataram Baru on Jalan Dr. Soetomo, while the young boy was killed at a separate location on Gang Tentrem, Jalan Doho. The perpetrator then moved the bodies to a house on Jalan Kunir in the Ngegong subdistrict to systematically destroy the evidence.
The Methods Used to Erase the Evidence
In an effort to eradicate all traces of the crime, the suspect burned the victims’ remains in the backyard of the Jalan Kunir property. According to MetroTVNews.com, Dwi Bagus also utilized an online-purchased mechanical shredder to break down body parts before planning to dump the remaining ash into the sea. The commercial shredder was later resold to a third party before detectives tracked it down.
/data/photo/2026/10/29/6ae2f8c938490.jpeg "Photo: Kompas")
When the time came to move Dini’s remains from the initial hotel room, the suspect relied on outdoor equipment already stowed in his automobile. AKP Muhammad Fauzi, head of Unit III of Sub-Directorate III Jatanras at the East Java Regional Police Directorate of General Criminal Investigation, noted that the suspect maintained a regular camping hobby and had last used the gear alongside the victims roughly three months prior, as reported by detikNews.
Psychological Assessments and the Month-Long Manhunt
Following a missing person report filed by the victim’s family at the Madiun Police Resort on October 5, 2026, law enforcement launched an extensive manhunt. Dwi Bagus remained on the run for over a month, altering his identity during his flight. According to Kompas, the suspect adopted the name Amanullah while hiding out in a secluded hermitage located in Jombang Regency and managed by an acquaintance named Munir whom he had met during the 2025 Hajj pilgrimage.
A joint team comprising the East Java Jatanras and the Madiun City Police eventually apprehended the suspect on October 25, 2026. Concurrently, psychological evaluations conducted by the East Java Police revealed distinct behavioral traits.
The Pursuit of Maximum Penalties
During the police apprehension in Jombang, officers pulled the suspect from sleep as video cameras recorded the scene. Upon his arrest, Dwi Bagus expressed remorse to reporters, claiming he acted under a moment of lapse. However, the victim’s family has pushed back firmly against these statements.
Authorities have formally charged Dwi Bagus Martono under Article 340 of the Indonesian Criminal Code concerning premeditated murder. The charge carries a maximum penalty of capital punishment, life imprisonment, or a fixed prison term of up to 20 years as the judicial process advances.
