The State News Agency ANTARA and TribunBali report that the Denpasar City Police in Bali are preparing a formal Criminal Case Termination Document (SP3) in connection with the murder-suicide deaths of Australian Damien John Shaw and his two children at a rented bungalow on Jalan Three Brothers in Central Legian, Kuta, Bali.
Denpasar Police Chief Senior Commissioner Leonardo David Simatupang announced on Tuesday, 15 September 2026, that the homicide investigation is being halted because 56-year-old Shaw, suspected of being the primary perpetrator in the case, is now dead.
”This case involves both homicide and suicide. Regarding the homicide committed by Shaw, we have followed the evidence, and a case review will be conducted to issue an SP3 [termination order],” Leonardo told the media at the Bali Regional Police Public Relations Press Room on Tuesday, accompanied by the Head of Public Relations, Senior Police Commissioner Ariasandy.
In this case, three Australian nationals were found dead on Sunday, 13 September 2026, at the rented bungalow on Jalan Three Brothers: Damien John Shaw (57) and his two children, Archie (7) and Laura (4).
Simatupang explained that, based on an analysis of CCTV footage and several witness statements, police strongly suspect Shaw killed his two children before taking his own life by hanging.
CCTV footage provided clues, including the sound of a boy, presumed to be 7-year-old Archie, screaming from inside the closed room. Shortly after, the daughter, Laura, was filmed terrified, running out of the room, where her father chased her down, caught her, and took her back behind the closed door.
The video seemingly showed Laura terrified after allegedly seeing her brother killed by their father. Her father then chased her as she screamed, “I love you, daddy, I love you, daddy.” Police say the video revealed the girl saying “Stop, Daddy” in the minutes before her father smothered her to death.
Police also found footage showing Shaw entering a storage area and retrieving a blue rope, which police suspect he then used to end his own life.
Before killing himself, Damien Shaw allegedly altered the direction and scope of the CCTV camera so that it no longer pointed toward the scene of his imminent suicide.
Damien John Shaw worked as a merchant seaman and had been unemployed for several months before his death.
A forensic specialist from Denpasar’s RSUP Prof. Ngoerah Hospital, Doctor Hengky, speaking at a press conference held at the hospital, said that the three bodies had been handed back to the family on Monday afternoon, 14 September 2026.
External forensic examinations of the two children’s bodies revealed signs of violence, particularly around the neck areas. In keeping with the express wishes of the children’s mother, no detailed autopsy was performed on the bodies of the deceased.
In a statement issued by the grieving mother, she concluded there was no need for post-mortem autopsies because her husband was dead and there was no one left to charge in the death of her family. Accordingly, the forensic examination at the Denpasar hospital was limited to an external examination.
“The findings and results of the external examination I cannot share as that information remains confidential and is controlled by the family,” said Dr. Hengky. These findings can only be shared with the families of the decedents and the police.
Under Indonesian law, complete autopsies are normally not performed without the written permission of the surviving family.
Meanwhile, the Denpasar Police Chief confirmed that the biological evidence of ligature marks, abrasions, lacerations, and contusions on Shaw’s neck were consistent with hanging as the cause of death.
Police interviews with the dead Australian’s wife indicated that the couple’s marriage had been showing signs of strain since 2022 and was marked by frequent arguments. In 2022, Mrs. Shaw filed for divorce, citing her husband’s temperamental personality and quick temper. Following a period of marital reconciliation, the divorce action was subsequently withdrawn.
Friends described Damien John Shaw and neighbors as a quiet man who kept mostly to himself. Converting to Islam when he married his Indonesian wife, Damien Shaw was said to neither drink nor do drugs, in strict compliance with the tenets of his adopted religion.
Mrs. Shaw also told police that her husband suffered from severe anxiety and mood swings, and had reportedly attempted to commit suicide a month ago using a cable. His wife said she had successfully managed to thwart the earlier suicide attempt.
On 10 September 2026, Ibu Shaw left Damien with the children in Bali and returned to her parents’ home in Jakarta. According to reports, the woman was on the telephone with her daughter when the connection was suddenly terminated. Concerned and unable to reconnect, she contacted friends in Bali to do a welfare check. Her friends then contacted police and the bungalow’s landlord to visit the bungalow in person.
Upon arrival at the location, police and acquaintances discovered the gruesome multiple homicide.
Ibu Shaw ordered the bodies of her late husband and two children to be removed from the hospital morgue. The remains were immediately buried in a local Muslim cemetery in Denpasar, in keeping with Islamic religious practice.
Related Links
Murder-Suicide by Perth Man in Legian on Sunday, 13 September 2026 Claims 3 Lives
Questions Surround Suicide Death of Canadian in Jimbaran, Bali
Russian in Bali Blames Suicide on Vladimir Putin
Deadly Bali: Highest National Suicide Rate
Suicide in Bali 8 X the National Average
Bali Suicide Help Line Available 24/7
American Commits Suicide in Ubud, Bali
Curry in Bali’s George Thomas Dies at 55
Deaths in Bali of 2 Chinese Tourists
Stay Informed on Bali Tourism-Related News: Subscribe to Bali Update