Bulacan Police intensify their search for the fourth suspect in the rape and murder of 26-year-old Anria Espiritu.
Police in Calumpit, Bulacan are now looking for the fourth suspect in the rape and murder of 26-year-old Anria Espritu. The man, a jeepney driver, was reportedly seen in Apalit, Pampanga.
Three suspects detained, one at large
The police already have the three other suspects in custody—jeepney drivers Elmer Joson, Ramil de Arca, and Melvin Ulam. They have been charged for rape with homicide at the Bulacan Prosecutor’s Office.
Despite a witness positively identifying them, they have all maintained their innocence.
What happened to Anria?
Police investigation shows that Espiritu boarded Joson’s jeepney sometime around 1 a.m. on Thursday, August 14. Sometime after that, she was loaded onto De Arca’s vehicle.
As De Arca—who goes by the alias “Bakulaw”—drove his jeepney, Ulam, Joson, and the fourth man made sure that the victim could not get away.
This is contrary to Joson’s claim that he last saw Espiritu when she allegedly got down at Bagbag.
The evidence 'speaks'
Espiritu’s body was later found naked from the waist down in a rice field in Barangay Sapang Bayan. She had been stabbed multiple times—mostly in her neck, as well as her back and nape.
A screwdriver, which may have been used to stab her multiple times, was found in the crime scene. A chain, which most likely used to choke Espiritu was also found near her body.
Espiritu’s relatives became suspicious of Joson when he attended the victim’s wake, as the jeepney driver had scratches all over his body. Although Joson’s live-in partner, Delia Dionisia, said that she was the one who scratched him, police weren’t convinced by her claim.
Witness allegedly threatened
As police intensify their search for the suspect who is still at large, they also have to ensure the safety of the witnesses in the rape-slay case—including one who has reportedly been getting death threats.
