A COUPLE has been been apprehended by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) in connection with the murder of an 85-year-old widow in BF Homes, Parañaque last month.
The NBI-Anti-Organized and Transnational Crime Division (NBI-AOTCD) has identified the suspects as Julie Ann Navarro and Rovelyn Canete.
The arrest of the two followed a request for reinvestigation made by Telesforo P. Hernando, who sought justice for his sister, Noemi H. Dacuycuy. The elderly woman was brutally slain in her residence on May 4, 2023.
The case had initially been investigated by the Paranaque City Police Station, resulting in the arrest of Ronald Roda Roxas, known as “Noah,” the victim’s house helper.
Roxas was charged with murder through inquest proceedings before the City Prosecutor’s Office of Paranaque City on May 6, 2023.
An autopsy performed by the Medico Legal Officer at Camp Bagong Diwa NCRPO, Lower Bicutan, Taguig City, determined that the cause of the victim’s death was blunt force trauma to the head and neck, as well as asphyxia by strangulation. It was discovered that Roxas was not responsible for the killing.
Through an extensive investigation and the collection of evidence, authorities concluded that Julie Ann, the house helper, and Rovelyn, her live-in partner, were the primary suspects in the victim’s murder, contradicting the findings of the Paranaque Police.
Moreover, circumstances surrounding Noah’s involvement in the victim’s death were disproven.
Noah had been employed by the victim for the past five years, and there had been no previous incidents indicating a motive for him to harm her.
Notably, after Noah called for assistance and authorities arrived at the house to discover the victim’s lifeless body, he did not flee but rather remained on the premises, awaiting the results of the investigation.
Testimonies from witnesses revealed that the victim had previously caught Julie Ann and Rovelyn stealing money from her using an ATM card that she had entrusted to them.
However, despite this discovery, the victim decided to give them another chance to continue working for her.
Further investigation uncovered that the text message linking Noah to the crime had been fabricated to incriminate him, allegedly by the suspects.
Julie Ann and Rovelyn were subsequently presented for inquest proceedings before the Office of the City Prosecutor of Paranaque City.
