3 suspects nabbed in massacre of ma, daughter
Police arrested three suspects who allegedly killed a mother and her daughter barely two days after the gruesome mother.
PO2 Kim John Banzon identified the suspects as Peter Complisa alias Turko, 32, of Brgy. Guinobatan, Leganes, Iloilo; Lemuel Buenafe, 46, of a native of Hacienda Culisap, Brgy. Cauayan, Silay City, Negros Occidental but temporarily residing at Brgy. Rumbang, Pototan; and Reynor Madrelijo, 29, of Brgy. San Vicente, Leganes.
Members of Zarraga Police Station, with the assistance of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG), first collared Complisa, who is facing a theft complaint.
When he was arrested, Complisa readily pointed Buenafe and Madrelejo to be his companions.
But along with Complisa’s admittance is an apparent absolution to the act of murder.
He claimed that Buenafe and Madrelijo have the hands in killing Lilia Simpia and her 23-year old daughter, Ana Mae, both residents of Villa Carmela Subdivision in Brgy. Poblacion Ilawod, Zarraga, Iloilo, Thursday evening.
Complisa, a pedicab driver at the victims’ village, alleged that his only participation was serving as look-out while they scaled the bamboo fence of the Simpia’s property and stabbed dead the two victims.
But while Complisa stood pat in his allegations, Zenaida Madrelijo, Reynor’s mother, swore to her son’s innocence.
She narrated that her son left their house at around 1:00 a.m. of Thursday after he got a call from a certain Toto.
By 6:00 in the morning, he was already back.
In the afternoon of the said date, Madrelijo again left their house to deliver stones but returned shortly.
When her son returned, the mother attested that he was physically clean and had, in fact, not given her any money.
It was gathered that a mobile phone and considerable amount of money went missing at the Simpia’s household.
Both Buenafe and Madrilejo are now detained at separate detention cells at Zarraga Police Station while Complisa is at CIDG custody.
Meanwhile, Banzon thanked the CIDG for helping them solve the case.
To note, Lilia succumbed to 33 stab wounds on the different parts of her body while Ana Mae suffered 16 stab injuries after their bodies were found Thursday evening.
Lilia’s body was found slumped at the side of their fence while Anna Mae’s stab-riddled body was discovered in one of the rooms at the family’s residence.
Lilia and Ana Mae, a Medical Technology course graduate, were the house’s two occupants.
Lilia’s husband is a seafarer.
The mother was still brought to the hospital but was declared dead on arrival.
Initial investigation conducted by the SOCO team from the PNP Crime Laboratory revealed that there was no forcible entry.
“We checked for a sign of forcible entry but we found none,” said SOCO investigator Chief Insp. Hilarion Roga adding that they also found no indications that the house was in shambles.
There were also indications that Ana Mae tried to fight back as hinted by the defense wounds found on both her arms, near the elbow.
It was also theorized that there are at least two suspects who broke into the house.
Earlier, Banzon said that since there was no forcible entry, is also possible that the victims knew the suspects.
“Ginbuksan sang Nanay ang kudal. Gintira na siya amo na nga wala na siya kahalin sa kilid sang kudal nila. Didto na siya natumba. Wala man kami nakita nga naglawit nga dugo halin sa sulod pakadto sa gwa (The mother opened the fence. She was attacked that’s why she did not manage to leave at the side of the fence. She fell there. We did not find any drop of blood from the inside of the house going out),” Banzon added.
The investigators believed that while the suspect was attacking Lilia, another suspect went inside the house and stabbed Ana Mae.
After several minutes, an information was gathered that there were individuals hiding at the bushes at the back of the Simpia’s property.
When policemen and tanod members checked, it was negative.
Banzon, instead, saw a wallet, which he deemed could be the loot carted by the suspects but it fell off, as they fled the crime scene.
Domestic fight
Prior to the discovery of the body, a black-out hit the village.
Several neighbors claimed to have seen Lilia going out of their house after they had dinner.
She went to a nearby store to buy dessert and headed home immediately.
According to Edwin Palma, the victim’s neighbor, he heard someone asking for help at around 7:00 p.m.
But as he was about to go out of the house to check, his wife allegedly prevented him claiming that it might just be a domestic violence.
“Abi sang asawa ko, basi ginasakit niya lang ang bata niya (My wife thought that maybe she was just physically hurting her daughter),” Palma added.
Meanwhile, Palma claimed that they have no knowledge on the possible motive of the incident since the victims have no known enemies in their barangay.
“Ambot kung ano motibo da kay kung sa kinawatay kay daw waay man na sila kawaton kay bag-o man lang kasakay tatay da (I don’t know the motive because if it’s robbery, they will steal nothing because the father just joined the ship),” he added.
Meanwhile, the victims’ family complained the responding cops’ failure to bring Ana Mae to the hospital.
But Banzon claimed that when they saw the body, ants were already feasting on it.
That’s why, Zarraga PNP chief Insp. Elberto Pudadera decided to call for SOCO assistance.
When the SOCO was informed of the situation, Banzon claimed that they were advised to preserve the crime scene.
Motive
Initially, robbery and old grudges were seen as the motive of the incident.
But Pudadera said that they are exploring other angles like the land dispute involving Lilia.
