An external autopsy found no signs of physical assault but did detect THC in the woman’s system, as investigators piece together her final days on the Lombok island.
GILI AIR, Lombok — Indonesian police are continuing their investigation into the death of a 35-year-old French national found outside her rental home on Gili Air, seeking to establish a clear sequence of events leading to the tragedy. While an initial external examination found no signs of external assault, authorities revealed the woman tested positive for THC, the primary psychoactive compound in cannabis.
The woman, identified by police with the initials P.N.L., was discovered on the morning of Saturday, January 11, 2026. The case, which has cast a shadow over the small, tourism-focused island, is being treated with caution as detectives gather digital evidence, interview witnesses, and review the woman’s personal belongings.
Findings from the Preliminary Examination
According to Iptu I Komang Wilandra, head of criminal investigations for the North Lombok Police, an external autopsy (visum luar) was conducted at Bhayangkara Hospital in Mataram. The examination revealed ligature marks consistent with hanging but no other wounds or indications of a physical struggle on her body.
“The results of this examination are an initial basis for the investigation. However, they cannot automatically be concluded as the cause of death,” Wilandra stated on Sunday. “We are still investigating the entire sequence of events before the victim was found deceased.”
The police confirmed the urine test detected Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Authorities have not drawn any connection between this finding and her death, stating it is one of several factors under review.
A Methodical Investigation Underway
The police strategy appears broad and meticulous. Investigators are tracing the woman’s activities and movements in her final days, reviewing whom she met and where she went. They are also examining her digital footprint and personal effects to build a clearer picture of her state of mind and circumstances.
The woman was first found by a fellow French national, Patrick Gatel Pascal Honore, after he was asked by a mutual friend to check on her. He discovered her body hanged by a rope on the terrace of her cottage.
For the international community residing in and visiting Bali and Lombok, the case is a sobering incident that highlights the complex challenges of life abroad.
It underscores the procedural steps local authorities undertake in such sensitive cases, which often involve navigating language barriers, cultural differences, and the difficult task of determining intent behind a death in a foreign land.
The police have emphasized that the investigation remains active, with no final conclusions yet made.
Source: detikbali
