In a deserted area in Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu, 16-year-old Christine Lee Silawan, a church collector, was discovered dead. Multiple stab wounds were found on her body, and her face was completely peeled off. She had also been raped and was nude from the waist down.
Murder:
Christine Lee Silawan, a 16-year-old student, was said to have been seduced into seeing her lover through a fictitious Facebook account before to her death. Investigators found that the suspect had attempted to "court" the woman on Facebook by pretending to be another man. On March 11, 2019, Silawan was discovered dead with many stab wounds and a severed face in a deserted lot in Lapu-Lapu City.
Her tongue, trachea, oesophagus, portions of her neck, and her right ear were all missing, according to an autopsy.
Investigation and after math:
The man who was taken into custody in connection with the death of a sixty-two-year-old farmer in Danao City, Cebu, Jonas Martel Bueno, denied any role in the killing of Silawan. The Danao City killings, according to the police, were "strikingly similar" to Silawan's murders.
On March 16, 2019, the murder suspect, known only as "John," was taken into custody at his residence in Barangay Maribago, Lapu-Lapu City, following a Facebook Messenger discussion. The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) states that Silawan's former lover, John, may face legal action if he is found guilty of her murder. John passed the process of judgement that was applied to him.
According to the results of the forensic investigation, Silawan was killed on March 10, 2019, somewhere between 6:00 and 7:00 p.m. The last known video of Silawan was captured on camera on March 10, when she is seen walking with a male in the early evening.A few days prior to her death, Silawan and John broke up, according to the investigators, who are now investigating jealousy as a potential motive. Prior to this, the Philippine National Police (PNP) stated that the murder could have been committed by at least three people.The suspect's relative, however, claimed that the accusations against him were false and that on the day of her murder, he was doing housework and playing basketball with his friends.
The mother of the suspect, who called for the genuine offender, thought her son was innocent. The mother of the suspect said that if her son had carried out the crime, he would have been gone. The NBI obtained a search warrant against the suspect after he himself unlocked the door for them. The NBI claims that they relied on eyewitness testimonies to form their suspicions. CCTV evidence disproved the mother's claim that her son was playing basketball by showing the victim rapidly leaving the church while being pursued by the man at 6:12 p.m. The friend of the boy, who was serving food next to the basketball court, said that he got a balut at 7:00 or 8:00 p.m. and left for home.
Upon reviewing the suspect's and Silawan's Facebook Messenger conversations, the NBI discovered several deleted communications. Additionally, they sought proof that the suspect had used a fictitious account to persuade the victim to meet with her on March 10. The results of the drug test the suspect took were negative. The suspect is a previous boyfriend of Silawan, according to the NBI, and he was charged with murder. Although the suspect did not confess to the crime, Silawan's mother, Lourdes Silawan, is certain that the suspect and other accomplices carried out the murder. Although the PNP deemed the case "closed" on March 19, the authorities would still look for two more suspects. DSWD is currently holding the suspect.
The murder caused political controversy and discussion on whether or not to revive the death penalty as a punishment for serious crimes.
On April 2, 2019, the Public Attorney's Office forensic team verified that Silawan had been physically assaulted. In addition to discovering that Silawan may have had acid sprayed on her face before it was ripped off, the scientists also discovered blood in her genitals. After it was found that Silawan had been strangled with a rope, the forensic team concluded that there might have been three people involved.
Renato Llenes, the accused murder suspect, was taken into custody by the police on April 9 and afterwards gave a "extra-judicial confession" to killing her. However, he entered a plea of "not guilty" to the murder accusations. Llenes stated that the popular Momo Challenge at the time served as the inspiration for his crime. It was announced on May 24, 2020, that Llenes had hung himself to death.
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