Overview of Casefile Archives 4: Mirna Salihin
This episode revisits the widely publicised 2016 poisoning death of 27‑year‑old Mirna Salihin in a Jakarta café and the subsequent arrest, trial and conviction of her friend Jessica Wongso. Casefile outlines the incident, the forensic and circumstantial evidence, the heated courtroom battle between prosecution and defence, the intense media spectacle, and the ongoing debate about whether justice was served.
Timeline — what happened
- 6 January 2016: Jessica Wongso arrives early at Olivier Café in Grand Indonesia Mall, buys three bottles of liquid soap as gifts, and orders drinks for herself and two friends (Mirna and Hany). She sits at table 54 and places the gift bags on the table.
- 5:16 pm: Mirna takes a sip of her Vietnamese iced coffee, immediately reacts that it tastes awful, then suddenly convulses and collapses. She dies in hospital ~30 minutes later.
- Toxicology: The café’s leftover iced coffee tests positive for very high cyanide levels. Initial tests for cyanide in Mirna’s body are either absent or show only trace amounts.
- 29 January 2016: Police name Jessica as a murder suspect and arrest her.
- June–October 2016: Highly publicised trial in Jakarta. Judges find Jessica guilty of premeditated murder and sentence her to 20 years’ imprisonment.
- Appeals fail; conviction stands. In 2023 Netflix releases Ice Cold: Murder, Coffee and Jessica Wongso, reviving international attention. August 2024 Jessica is granted parole after serving 8 years; she remains on parole and continues to pursue legal avenues to overturn the conviction. In May 2025 she sits for a televised interview.
Key people
- Victim: Mirna (Myrna) Salihin — 27, recently married, twin sister Sandy.
- Accused: Jessica Wongso — friend who lived in Australia for years; returned to Jakarta in late 2015.
- Witnesses/others: Hany (friend who tasted the coffee), café staff (barista Runga Saputra, manager Divi Siagian), Mirna’s husband Arif, father Eddie Salihin.
- Legal teams: Prosecutors seeking 20 years; defence led by celebrity lawyer Oto Hazibwan (and a large legal team).
Evidence and forensic findings
- Cyanide detected at high concentrations (thousands of mg/L) in the iced coffee sample(s) seized from the café.
- Toxicology on Mirna’s body: very low or undetectable cyanide levels in gastric contents and other samples (0.2 mg/L found in stomach days later); no cyanide found in bowel or liver; no classic cyanide skin discoloration initially reported.
- CCTV footage: Jessica arrives early, places gift bags that obscure camera view, makes movements behind bags and scratches her hands while Mirna collapses. Footage is grainy; no clear visual of her adding anything to the drink.
- No cyanide source (purchase or storage) definitively linked to Jessica; straw used by Mirna was discarded so could not be tested.
- Disputes and procedural issues around preservation and chain of custody of evidence, and whether samples/glasses/bottles tested were the original items.
Prosecution’s case (summary)
- Motive: jealousy and anger rooted in prior conflicts (argument about Jessica’s boyfriend), alleged unstable behaviour and threats by Jessica pre‑2016.
- Opportunity and means: Jessica was the only person with access to Mirna’s drink before she drank it; she sat early, ordered drinks in advance, chose a table partly out of camera view and used gift bags that concealed the drink.
- Forensics: high cyanide in the coffee; symptoms and rapid death consistent with cyanide poisoning.
- Conclusion: Jessica administered cyanide to Mirna’s cold drink and is guilty of premeditated murder.
Defence’s case (summary)
- No direct forensic link: negligible cyanide in Mirna’s body suggests either no cyanide ingestion or contamination/post‑mortem artefact; embalming/post‑mortem processes could explain low levels.
- Chain of custody and evidence handling problems: inconsistencies about which glasses/bottles were tested, disposal of hot water, and possible contamination.
- CCTV limitations and plausible innocent explanations for Jessica’s actions (traffic rules causing early arrival, shopping for gifts, routine movements).
- Character evidence challenged: prior hospitalisations and instability in Australia interpreted differently; many allegations were hearsay or lacked context.
- Defence argument: reasonable doubt exists; the prosecution’s case relies largely on circumstantial and contested evidence.
Trial, verdict and immediate aftermath
- The trial was a national obsession in Indonesia — broadcast live and compared to high‑profile international cases.
- Judges ruled there were only three potential sources for the cyanide (café staff, police, or Jessica), dismissed staff and police scenarios, and convicted Jessica of premeditated murder, sentencing her to 20 years.
- Jessica proclaimed her innocence and announced appeals. Her conviction and the trial process drew intense public debate and criticism.
Controversies and criticisms
- Forensic ambiguity: leading forensic experts (including Australian pathologists) testified that toxicology results did not conclusively show cyanide ingestion, and that low post‑mortem levels could be artefacts.
- Procedural irregularities: alleged police missteps (questioning without a lawyer, searches without warrants), possible evidence mishandling, and an incomplete autopsy because Mirna’s family resisted full examination.
- Media and public pressure: the case was sensationalised; commentators argue the judiciary may have been influenced by public sentiment.
- Academic/legal critique: Professor Simon Butt and others argued the trial was unfair and riddled with procedural errors.
- Alternate theories and rumours: speculation about life insurance, other conspirators, and relationships circulated widely but were unproven.
Aftermath, media and current status
- 2023: Netflix documentary Ice Cold re‑energised international interest and cast Jessica in a more sympathetic light for many viewers.
- August 2024: Jessica released on parole after 8 years; remains under parole supervision and continues to fight the conviction via judicial review.
- May 2025: Jessica gave a high‑profile interview; maintains innocence and is cultivating influencer/brand opportunities.
- The case remains polarising in Indonesia: some view Jessica as guilty and call for harsher penalties; others see her as a victim of a flawed system.
Main takeaways
- The Mirna Salihin case is emblematic of how circumstantial evidence, forensic ambiguity and intense media scrutiny can converge to produce a controversial conviction.
- Critical unanswered questions persist: definitive forensic proof that Mirna ingested a lethal dose of cyanide is contested; evidence‑handling and procedural integrity have been challenged.
- The case prompted discussions about Indonesia’s criminal procedures, forensic standards, and the influence of public opinion on justice.
- Whether one believes in Jessica’s guilt or innocence, the trial exposed systemic weaknesses (investigation, autopsy practices, evidence preservation) that experts say deserve reform.
Notable quotes
- Judge (reported): “The poison was put in when the drink was cold.”
- Jessica at sentencing: “I don’t accept the verdict.”
- Mirna’s father (to media): “I am a million percent sure that Jessica is guilty.”
This summary captures the core facts, evidence disputes, courtroom dynamics and the long‑running public debate covered in Casefile’s episode on Mirna Salihin.