The grisly long and the short of it: Ahmad Suradji, 57, was convicted of ritualistically slaying 42 women and girls and burying them in a field next to his house because he thought it would magically give him magical powers. The AP describes this:

“He lured them to the field and buried them up to the waist, telling them it was part of the ritual. He then strangled them and buried their bodies with the heads pointing toward his house.


He has told police he believed the 11-year killing spree would boost his magical powers.


Suradji’s wife, Tumini, was also sentenced to death for assisting with the murders, but her sentence was later reduced to life in prison.”

Suradji met with the firing squad late Thursday, despite the protests of Amnesty International.

Several more people are set to be executed soon in Indonesia — including the trio convicted in the 2002 Bali bombings: Amrozi, Ali Ghufron, and Imam Samudera.