Manokwari, Jubi – Investigators from the West Papua Regional Police will send tissue samples taken from the body of TVRI Papua Barat presenter Yanto Idorway to the National Police Forensic Laboratory in Jakarta following a three-hour autopsy conducted at the West Papua Police’s Bhayangkara Hospital in Manokwari on Thursday, 30 July 2026.
Head of the West Papua Police Medical and Health Division, Senior Commissioner Dr Iskandar, said the tissue samples would undergo further forensic examination in Jakarta. He said the time required to obtain the results would depend on the laboratory’s workload.
“There are several stages in the process. The tissue samples must be sent to Jakarta. We have already established coordination with the laboratory, and we ask the family and the public for their patience. Overall, the autopsy was carried out smoothly,” Iskandar said.
He said Yanto Idorway’s body would be returned to the family following the completion of the autopsy. The medical team will hand the body over to investigators first before it is formally released to the family.
Forensic pathologist Dr Jimmi V.J. Sembay, who conducted the autopsy, thanked the victim’s family and local residents for maintaining a peaceful atmosphere throughout the examination.
He said the body had remained in the water for several days before it was recovered. The autopsy included both external and internal examinations, but further laboratory testing would be required before any conclusions could be reached.
“Several samples have been collected for further analysis. We must wait for the laboratory results before drawing any conclusions,” Dr Sembay said.
He added that investigators had identified injuries requiring further examination to determine whether they were sustained while the victim was still alive or occurred after death.
West Papua Police Spokesperson Senior Commissioner Trihadi Kuncahyo said police would provide updates once the forensic examination had been completed.
“We ask for patience. The results will be conveyed to both the public and the victim’s family,” he said.
The family’s lawyer, Yan Cristian Warinussy, said the examination had proceeded smoothly. He noted that both the external examination and the autopsy formed part of the ongoing investigation.
“The findings will be submitted to investigators. As explained earlier, there are findings that may indicate certain circumstances surrounding the death. The conclusions regarding the cause of death and whether the injuries occurred before or after death will be determined by investigators and later communicated to the family and the public,” Warinussy said. (*)
