tagum city police station

THE TAGUM City police continue to investigate the murder of a 19-year-old female student inside her home in Barangay La Filipina, on Wednesday dawn, July 9.

At approximately 5:30 a.m., personnel from the Tagum City Police Station immediately responded to a distress call and confirmed the discovery of a bloodied female victim inside her bedroom on the second floor of her home.

The father stumbled on the horrifying scene after noticing his daughter’s room was in disarray and subsequently finding her lifeless body partially concealed under a blanket. 

Several valuable items, including the victim’s Apple laptop, iPhone, tablet, and personal wristwatches, were reported missing, leading investigators to initially suspect robbery as the primary motive.

Lt Col Frederick E. Deles, officer-in-charge of Tagum City Police Station, under the direct supervision of Col Alexander R. Serrano Jr., Davao del Norte Police Provincial Office director, personally supervised the investigation and crime scene processing. 

The Scene of the Crime Operations (SOCO) team of the Davao del Norte Provincial Forensic Unit (DNPFU), led by PMAJ Kris D. Chavez, reported that the victim sustained a total of 38 stab wounds. 

Recovered from the scene were blood-stained items, including a scissor-type grass cutter, a dumbbell, and a handkerchief, all of which are now subject to forensic analysis.

In a statement, Serrano condoled with the family and vowed to give them justice.

“This is a deeply disturbing and heinous crime that claimed the life of a promising young woman. We extend our heartfelt condolences to the family,” Serrano said. “We assure the public that our investigators are working tirelessly, alongside SOCO and intelligence personnel, to identify and bring the perpetrator/s to justice.

“We urge anyone who may have seen or heard anything unusual during the time of the incident to come forward and cooperate with authorities,” he added.

Photo courtesy of MindaNet