A international murder mystery that included Indonesian separatists, political wrangling and a family from Littleton added its latest twist this week with the arrest of 12 suspects who authorities claim ambushed a convoy of Americans at a gold mine in Indonesia nearly four years ago.
And William Swann said his sister, Patsy Spier, is responsible for helping write the newest chapter.
“She left for Indonesia with (U.S.) officials to plead” with government leaders to turn over suspects in the case, Swann said Thursday from his sister’s Littleton home. “She never gave up.”
Spier’s husband, Rickey Lynn Spier, 44, was among three schoolteachers murdered during an Aug. 31, 2002, ambush in Indonesia’s Papua province, sparking debate amid suspicions that the country’s security forces guarding the U.S.-owned mine may have been involved.
The case received international attention, especially as Indonesia initially was reluctant to cooperate with an FBI investigation – complicating already-strained relations with the southeast Asian country.
The suspects, all described as separatists from the Papua province, were arrested Wednesday in the Timika district, authorities told The Associated Press.
Indonesian authorities have yet to charge them.
Police said the suspects include Anthonius Wamang, whom a U.S. grand jury indicted in 2004 on two counts of murder, eight counts of attempted murder and other related offenses. He could face the death penalty if convicted.
The Littleton couple were teaching at an international school at the time of the ambush. The attack happened on a road leading to a Timika gold mine owned by New Orleans-based Freeport-McMoRan Copper and Gold Inc.
Leon Edwin Burgon, 71, of Sun River, Ore., and an Indonesian teacher were killed with Spier. Eight other Americans, including Patsy Spier, were wounded.
Spier is still in Indonesia and plans to return home next week.
“I hope we’ll find out why (the suspects) picked out these teachers,” Swann said. Spier’s death “has been haunting the whole family.”
Wamang is described in U.S. court papers as an operational commander of the military arm of the Free Papua Movement that seeks an independent state.
U.S. officials have said Indonesia’s eventual cooperation was a condition last year of restoring military contracts with Jakarta that were frozen since 1999 because of human rights concerns.
The arrest of Wamang was “a welcome development,” State Department spokeswoman Darla Jordan said.
Indonesia has no extradition agreement with the U.S., and it’s unclear whether Jakarta will hand Wamang over.
In the years since the killings, Spier’s wife has pleaded with Indonesian officials to hand over Wamang and any other suspects and has supported U.S. bans on military ties with the country until the case was fully resolved.
During her trip this month, her brother said, Spier met in Jakarta with dignitaries, then traveled to Papua, in the country’s western region, to make yet another plea.
“It’s … been very emotional,” Swann said. “My brother-in-law was a great man.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
