Iced Coffee Murder Case Ends with Jessica Wongso's Parole

Jakarta, VIVA – Jessica Kumala Wongso, convicted in the cyanide coffee case, was paroled from Pondok Bambu Detention Center, East Jakarta on Sunday (Aug 18). This was confirmed by Wongso's lawyer, Otto Hasibuan.

As reported before, Jessica Kumala Wongso, 35, who is also an Australian permanent resident, was found guilty of murdering Wayan Mirna Salihin by slipping cyanide into her drink at an upmarket Jakarta cafe, sparking applause from spectators in the packed courtroom.

The soap opera-style tale of two members of Indonesia’s wealthy elite having a dramatic fallout that culminated in murder has captivated the country, with the trial dubbed the “poisoned coffee” case and broadcast live on national TV for months.

The murder, which Wongso carried out in January after becoming angered at 27-year-old Salihin’s criticism of her boyfriend, also generated huge interest in Australia, where the women studied together at a Sydney design college.

After hours reading the verdict in a courtroom overflowing with hundreds of journalists and members of the public, a three-judge panel declared Wongso guilty of premeditated murder and handed down the lengthy jail sentence.

Then in early December 2018, the Supreme Court rejected Jessica's judicial review, and she was sentenced to 20 years in prison.

The cyanide coffee case resurfaced some time ago after a documentary related to the case aired on the Netflix platform.

Despite this, Jessica's legal team is still trying to file an extraordinary judicial review to the Supreme Court, but her parole plan was confirmed yesterday.