Murder? Family claims foul play in death of singer bitten by cobra on stage

JAKARTA, Indonesia – Remember the death of a singer after being bitten by a cobra while performing on stage? Well it seems her family believes her death wasn’t an accident.

Irma Bule died on April 3, after she was bitten by a King Cobra on stage while singing. Bule kept on singing for 45 minutes until she succumbed to the venom from the bite and died.

But a surprising statement from Bule’s family suggests that her death might have been planned.

According to local media, Irma’s mother, Encum, said her daughter usually uses the same snake during her performances. The snake often used on stage, she said, is given tranquilizers. Its mouth is also tied so it is calm and cooperative – unlike the snake used on the day of Irma’s death which was not tied nor defanged.

Irma’s uncle, Maman, also believes that his niece was possibly murdered, noting it was not just the snake that was different on the day of her death, but also the snake handler.

“My niece was picked up from home,” he said. “The snake was already prepared beforehand.”

“[Irma’s death] may have been due to negligence or it could have been premeditated murder, no?” Maman added.

The family expressed hope that the police would investigate the case and look into the possibility of foul play.

No to antidote

While there may have been unusual circumstances on the day of Irma’s death however, initial reports quote a witness saying Irma herself refused the antidote from the snake handler, and chose to keep performing. 45 minutes after the bite, Irma started vomitting and having seizures.

The snake also attacked only after Irma accidentally stepped on it. The snake retaliated by biting her thigh.

The founder of Tulala Snake Research Center, Lydia Apririasari, told Rappler that the reason the bite took longer to kill Bule is that it was not close to the singer’s heart so there was not an immediate effect.

Commenting on the incident, she said that every snake would bite or attack people if they feel sick or threatened. 

Police have yet to release their results on their investigation. Do you think her death was an accident or premeditated murder? Let us know your thoughts on the comments section below.  – Rappler.com