Nardian, a 33-year-old man from Blitar Regency in Indonesia’s East Java, has been charged with the gruesome murder of his own family, allegedly because his wife told him to stop smoking.

According to witnesses, Nardian stabbed his wife, 29-year-old Sri Dewi, and their 7-month-old baby to death last Saturday. The murder was allegedly the culmination of days of domestic conflict between Nardian and Dewi, which neighbors first noticed on Thursday.

“He was prohibited from going out and from smoking by his wife. That was what they said after the first heated argument,” neighborhood chief Hariono told Suara.

Then, on Saturday, at Dewi’s parents’ house where the couple had lived after they got married, another argument led to Nardian threatening his wife — who was carrying the baby — with a knife. In the kitchen, Nardian stabbed Dewi a couple of times before she ran outside for help. Dewi’s father tried to stop Nardian, but the murder suspect pushed him aside and chased after her and the baby, both of whom were found dead on the floor moments later.

Following that incident, witnesses say they saw Nardian strip off his clothes and walked around the neighborhood while doing the Islamic call to prayer.

“But he’s [usually] a good man, he often becomes the imam (leader of prayer) at the mosque,” Hariono said.

According to the local police, autopsy results showed there were nine stab wounds on Dewi’s body and six on the baby, including one in her cranium. The police are conducting a mental exam on Nardian before any specific charges against him could be announced.

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