Indonesian police investigate killings of American teachers

Indonesian police have finished their investigation into eight suspects accused in the 2002 slayings of two American teachers in Papua province and handed over their charge sheets to prosecutors, a spokesman said Friday.

Photo: Indonesian police investigate killings of American teachers

Prosecutors will now study the dossiers and decide whether they are strong enough to file to court, or need to be returned to police for more investigation.

The eight men were arrested last month over their alleged roles in the slayings close to a massive gold mine run by New Orleans-based Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc.

One of the men, Anthonius Wamang, was indicted by a U.S. grand jury over the attack.

"We have finished the investigation," said Brig. Gen. Anton Bachrul Alam. "We have also questioned 22 witnesses, including some American citizens as well as getting information from the FBI."

He said Wamang was facing a charge of premeditated murder, which carries the death sentence.

The other men were accused of lesser charges, he said, giving no more details.

Soon after the attack, police said that there were indications that Indonesian military officers were involved.

An FBI investigation, however, found no evidence implicating Indonesian troops in the deaths of Rickey Lynn Spier, 44, of Littleton, Colorado, and 71-year-old Leon Edwin Burgon of Sun River, Oregon, reports the AP.