Radaza offers P.5-M bounty
Lapu police, NBI pursue separate investigations
Lapu-Lapu City Police say they have a suspect who, however, is not in Lapu-Lapu anymore Informant had told police that Karen Kaye Montebon had a heated argument with her killer before she died Students and faculty of University of San Carlos Main campus set up vigil (A31)
THE Lapu-Lapu City Government will give P500,000 to anyone who can help the police catch the killer of 17-yearold Karen Kaye Montebon.
A suspect has been identified, but the police did not give details yesterday so as not to compromise their manhunt.
Senior Supt. Armando Radoc, chief of the Lapu-Lapu City Police Office (LLCPO), said the suspect has slipped out of the city.
Radoc said the killing stemmed from an argument between Karen Kaye and the suspected killer, based on the account of a witness.
“As to when, where and to
the particulars of the argument, we do not know,” he said.
As Radoc’s team pursues the suspect, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) 7 started looking into the killing of Karen Kaye.
Lawyer Augusto Eric Isidoro, NBI 7 assistant director, confirmed yesterday that Karen Kaye’s father requested their office to conduct a separate investigation.
Isidoro said James Montebon, 45, talked with NBI 7 Director Ricardo Diaz over the phone last Tuesday night, hours after he discovered his daughter’s body inside their house in Corinthians Subdivision in Barangay Basak, Lapu-Lapu City.
In a text message, Mayor Paz Radaza announced yesterday that the City will offer P500,000 for information that can lead to the arrest of Karen Kaye’s killer.
Radoc said an informant gave the police tip about the killer.
“The one who reported it through text message, nakonsensiya siya (his/her conscience got the better of him/her),” the police official told reporters yesterday.
He refused to disclose details about the informant.
A team was dispatched to chase the alleged killer while another one was tasked to recover the iPad and the camera taken from Karen Kaye, said Radoc.
Investigators suspect that the gadgets may have contained information pertinent to the crime.
Radoc said robbery was an unlikely motive because there were more expensive valuables in the house that the killer could have stolen.
“Ours is a parallel investigation,” he said in a phone interview. “We will take a pro-active role in this case.”
There are already agents assigned on the case, he said.
Karen Kaye, an accountancy student of the University of San Carlos, was found dead by her father inside her bedroom past 5 p.m. of September 15.
James rushed her to a private hospital in LapuLapu City, but she was declared dead on arrival.
Karen Kaye was alone in the house when the crime happened.
James thanked the police and the Lapu-Lapu City Government for their quick action in going after the killer and giving justice to his daughter.
He also thanked the University of San Carlos (USC) and members of their church for showing concern to his family.
The USC community held a simultaneous prayer vigil in the different campuses yesterday afternoon. (Story on A31)
Radoc said that although slight laceration was found on the girl’s genitals, she was not likely raped.
Karen Kaye was fully clothed when she was found on the floor of her bedroom.
Radoc said it is possible the girl sustained the laceration during the scuffle with her killer.
According to an autopsy report, the girl was manually strangled. Her father had said he saw a cord of a hair iron around her neck.
Investigators said Karen Kaye may have been dragged by the hair from the ground floor to her room on the second floor.
A small woman wearing a full-faced helmet was seen knocking on the door of the Montebon’s house around 7 a.m. Tuesday, police earlier said. She was with a male companion on a motorcycle, who also wore a full-faced helmet.
Radoc said he cannot name the person being tracked down by his team because they are still gathering evidence to link him to the killing.
What the police have, he said, are accounts of witnesses.
Radoc said the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group 7 is helping resolve the case.
In a text message, Radaza said she is “in close contact with (Radoc) to ensure the swift arrest of the perpetrators.”
Radoc said he has instructed all police stations to survey subdivisions in their territories and recommend measures to strengthen their security system.
Karen Kaye, whose wake is being held in St. Peter’s Funeral Chapels in Mandaue City, is scheduled to be buried at the Mactan Island Memorial Garden on Sunday.
At the Capitol yesterday, Gov. Hilario Davide III asked authorities to hasten their investigation.
As a father, Davide said he is also concerned and alarmed with the crime.
The governor appealed to the subdivision owner and witnesses to cooperate with the policemen during the investigation.