Tempo Magazine - April 2 - 8, 2002 

Cover Story: Theys' Death and the Vampire 

Theys died after a party at the Kopassus headquarters. Here in a chronological order is what happened. 

THE dracula is on the loose in Jayapura. Two children have been victims of the blood-sucking vampire. People in small warung and coffee shops talk about the ghastly killings. Parents keep a constant watch on their children. When night falls, the streets become deserted. News of the bloodthirsty dracula spread from the capital of the Papuan province to Abepura dozens of 
kilometers away. 

The dreaded dracula struck on November 10, 2001. Its victim was not a small child, but a leading figure named Theys Hiyo Eluay, chairman of the Papuan Presidium and leader of the Sentani tribe. Theys was kidnapped and murdered. His body was found the next day in Koya Tengah, a transmigration area about 35 kilometers from Jayapura. 

The dracula story was a fabrication. Elsham Papua, a non-governmental organization which is carrying out an investigation into the circumstances that led to Theys' death, charges the story was concocted by Theys' would-be killers in order to keep people away from the scene of the killing. Early last month Elsham Papua issued a press release announcing its findings. 

Earlier in 1984 a similar story made the rounds in Jayapura of a beautiful girl on the loose at night in the Papuan capital. The girl, called Hantu Sumiati-the ghost of Sumiati-was said to have a sharp nose, straight hair, and a graceful body. What's most frightening was that she was fond of "pulverizing" her victims. Arnold Ap, a Papuan independence activist, was one victim. He was found strangled to death. 

In the case of Theys, many peculiarities surround the death of the Papuan leader. On the afternoon of November 10, 2001 when he was scheduled to attend the wedding party of a son of Michael Manufandu, an independence activist, at Kampung Dok Lima in Jayapura, Theys didn't show up. He did call Thaha Al Hamid, secretary-general of the Papuan Presidium, asking him to convey 
his best wishes to the Manufandu family. 

A meeting of the Presidium scheduled for later in the afternoon at Hotel Mato in downtown Jayapura was called off at the last minute. "I got an unpleasant feeling that something was going to happen," Thaha Al Hamid told TEMPO. Already journalists had whispered to him of a danger stalking members of the Presidium. Reports were circulating charging that the Presidium was planning a secession of the province from Indonesia. 

Apparently Theys went that fateful night to Hamadi, about 3 kilometers from Jayapura, to attend a party in commemoration of the Heroes' Day at the Kopassus headquarters. Many attended the party, including journalists. Theys was dressed in a blue suit with flower motifs. At the party he sat next to Lt. Col. Hartomo, commandant of the local Kopassus force. On the table were bottles of beer in various sizes, known as Papuan beer. 

Inside, the party went on in bright lights. Outside it was dark. "I saw several men walking to and fro in the dark in the parking lot," said Boy Eluay, Theys' eldest son. At 9.30pm Theys took leave of his host, accompanied by Aristoteles, his driver and a nephew, to return home to his residence in Sentani, about 45 kilometers from the Kopassus headquarters. 

Forty-five minutes later the bell rang at Theys' residence. Yaneke Eluay, Theys' wife, picked up the phone. "Pak Theys was kidnapped by amber," Aristoteles said in a trembling voice on the phone. Amber is a local appellation for non-native Papuans. It was not clear where Aristoteles had called from. 

Yaneke then called a Kopassus station at Gunung Iffar in Sentani, not far from Theys' residence. She asked the men to help find her husband. She did so because members of Kopassus were close to the Theys family. Some even used to sleep in the house. However, despite several attempts, nobody answered. "Normally, a call from mama has always been answered," said Boy Eluay. 

Yaneke dropped unconscious when informed the next day her husband was dead. Witnesses told Elsham Papua that Theys was kidnapped at Skyline, a hilly area about 3 kilometers from Hamadi. They said a Kijang was seen speeding from the direction of Hamadi, now and then careering off the road. Someone was trying to take over the wheel. Then someone fell out of the car. It was later found that that someone was Aristoteles. The Kijang continued toward Koya Tengah where Theys' lifeless body was later found slumped on the middle of the backseat. 

Wens Manggut, Cunding Levi (Jayapura)