Rene Pouw, a 49-year-old Dutch national, was fatally stabbed outside a villa in Kerobokan on the night of March 23, 2026. Two men on a motorbike approached him and his partner at 10pm as they walked outside their villa. Both men were carrying knives and launched a vicious attack.
Police have reconstructed the final moments and the details point not to a random act of violence, but to what investigators increasingly believe was a targeted attack. According to the timeline, Pouw and his partner left their villa at around 10:00 PM for a walk. As they passed another villa, they noticed two men on a motorcycle behaving unusually. The driver was wearing a black-and-green ride-hailing jacket, a black helmet, and a blue face mask.
Pouw's girlfriend, an Indonesian national, was forced to hide in a dark area in front of the villa because she had been targeted by one of the perpetrators. One of the attackers briefly entered the victim's villa, apparently searching for her, before returning to continue the assault on Pouw.
Pouw suffered cuts to his head, neck, shoulder and lower thigh, and died from blood loss. He was transported to BIMC Hospital unconscious and in critical condition, and was pronounced dead at 11:29 PM. The likely cause of death was massive blood loss from multiple stab wounds.
The circumstances have left investigators puzzled about motive. No personal items were taken from Pouw, and police are investigating the motive for the attack. The two suspects remain at large, and their identities and possible motive are still unknown.
Questions about Pouw's background have emerged in media reporting. Dutch media have speculated that Pouw is a man who is 'on the run' from authorities in relation to drug offences. The Hague's foreign affairs ministry said they are aware of Pouw's death, but will not confirm if he is the same person who is 'known in the underworld'.
The killing is part of a troubling trend. A Bali coroner said that from the first day she started working in Bali until the end of 2024, she performed an autopsy on one murder victim. But in the first six months of 2025, she received one murder victim every month, and this is the second murder victim she has received in March 2026. Earlier this year, two Indonesian nationals were sentenced to 18 years in prison for the murder of an elderly Spanish tourist on neighbouring Lombok, and two Australians were sentenced to 16 years for killing a fellow Australian in Bali earlier in March.
The killing of a foreign national in one of Bali's busiest residential areas is drawing attention beyond the immediate investigation. While violent crime remains rare on the island, cases involving targeted attacks—particularly those showing signs of planning—carry wider implications for safety perception.