Police are preparing murder and rape charges against a security guard accused of molesting and killing a seven-year-old Grade 1 pupil in Butuan City on Saturday, March 15.
“Yes, our assigned police unit is now preparing rape and murder charges against the suspect, for filing in the City Prosecutor’s Office and inquest proceeding,” said Police Major Jennifer S. Ometer, chief of the Police Regional Office 13-Regional Public Information Office, on Sunday, March 16.
The suspect remains in the custody of the Butuan City Police Office-Station 4 as authorities complete the necessary legal documentation.
According to the investigation, the victim’s 43-year-old father reported her missing after discovering she was no longer in their house while sleeping.
A follow-up investigation led police to a T-shirt found beside a rice field embankment. The suspect, who had joined the search, warned the family not to touch the T-shirt before disappearing. When the family returned, the T-shirt was gone.
Their search continued, leading them to the suspect’s house, where they found the T-shirt along with a muddy security guard uniform.
Authorities revealed that the suspect allegedly raped and killed the victim by punching her and pressing her face into the muddy ground. After the assault, the suspect dumped her body in an abandoned deep well approximately 700 meters from his home.
The victim’s remains have since been recovered and brought to a funeral parlor. Police are now conducting an autopsy and processing the crime scene to gather further evidence.