American husband is arrested in Indonesia for ‘beheading his father-in-law’ after their joint venture began to fail
- Arthur Leigh Welohr (35) is said to have slit his in-laws’ throat and chopped off his head
- Gruesome images showed the lifeless and decapitated corpse of the father-in-law
An American husband has been arrested over the alleged beheading of his father-in-law in Indonesia.
Arthur Leigh Welohr, 35, had run a business with his Indonesian wife’s father, Agus Sopiyan, 58, but their relationship would deteriorate when the venture began to fail.
The San Francisco resident allegedly hatched a plan to kill Agus and then attacked him on Sunday, September 24, at a house near his own residence in Banjar City, West Java.
Terrified neighbors heard the couple arguing but dismissed it as a normal fight.
However, Welohr is said to have overpowered Agus and knocked him down, before brandishing a knife and stabbing the older man. Gruesome video footage from the scene shows the dead man’s head hanging from his shoulders.
Shocked onlookers subdued Welohr and called police for help. They then angrily shouted at Welohr as he was marched away in handcuffs.
Agus, meanwhile, was found ‘in a terrible condition’ behind his house, with his head severed from his neck.
Welohr was marched away from the scene of the crime in handcuffs
Arthur Leigh Welohr, 35, had run a business with his Indonesian wife’s father, Agus Sopiyan, 58, but their relationship would deteriorate when the venture began to fail
Welohr is seen next to his Indonesian wife and family
A resident named Rizal said, “The neighbors here initially thought it was just an ordinary quarrel. But it turned out that he had pushed his father-in-law and slit his throat.”
He added that residents were unable to intervene in time due to the speed at which the attack occurred.
Deputy Inspector Nandi Darmawan, Public Relations Officer of Banjar Police, said, “The suspect has been arrested. We are still investigating this matter. We will announce the results of further investigations once all investigations have been completed.”
Yayat Ruhiyat, head of Raharja village where the alleged murder took place, said: “Earlier, the suspect had destroyed his in-laws’ house and this was also reported to the police.
“However, for various reasons, police did not make any arrests until this incident occurred.”
Agus was found ‘in a terrible condition’ behind his house, with his head severed from his neck
Yayat said Welohr’s wife paid for the vandalism damage, but the rampaging American continued to desecrate his in-laws’ home before allegedly committing murder.
Banjar Police Chief AKP Ali Jupri said in a statement on Monday, September 25: “The suspect said he felt that his father-in-law was hindering the relationship between him and his wife. He felt like he was being attacked himself and eventually committed the murder.”
Local media reported that Welohr was charged under Article 338 of the Indonesian Criminal Code, which states that: ‘The person who, with intent, takes the life of another person, being guilty of manslaughter, shall be punished with a maximum prison sentence of fifteen years. years.’
Before Welohr, from California, allegedly killed his father-in-law, he was arrested in 2015 for attacking and wounding two people with a sword in San Francisco.
He reportedly argued with the victims – a man and a woman in their 50s – before pulling out a sword and stabbing them.
He was charged with two counts of attempted murder, San Francisco police said, although it is unclear whether he has been jailed.