On September 21, 1999, Sander went to Dili, East TImor, on a reporting mission. That same day, he was brutally murdered.

After a thorough investigation under UN flag, it has become clear that Sander has been murdered in cold blood by two officers of the Indonesian army, major Jakob Djoko Sarosa and lieutenant Camillo Dos Santos alongside Becora road in Dili. Sander was executed lying on the ground. After killing Sander, they dragged his corpse to a nearby field and disfigured his face with a knife. The case of the killing of Sander Thoenes is one of the many cases that was under investigation by the UN Serious Crimes unit in East Timor. In the words of a closely involved policeman: this is a clear cut case. A trial has up to now been effectively blocked by Indonesian pressure on the East Timor government.

Links:

- A long wait for justice in East Timor
- Lt Camilo dos Santos - Master of Terror
- Maj Jacob Djoko Sarosa - Master of Terror
- Serious Crimes Unit - Dili, Timor Leste