Gun used in killing foreigner up for ballistic exam
-A A +ATuesday, February 19, 2013
THE Philippine National Police (PNP) has submitted for ballistic examination the .45 caliber gun and other paraphernalia used in killing of an American national and his partner last Sunday.
Senior Inspector Edwin Ipan, chief of Opol Municipal Police Station, said in an interview over Magnum Radio on Tuesday that the ballistic exam hopes to determine if the gun was the one used by the suspects in killing American national Michael Allan Turner and his female companion, identified as Sandra Paredes, 19 -- both were killed in a beach in Opol town, Misamis Oriental.
The .45 caliber gun was recovered by police authorities of Manticao town inside a Toyota Hilux pick-up that figured in an accident in the area Sunday night.
Ipan said two silencers were also recovered inside the vehicle.
Upon verification by Manticao police, the vehicle was registered to lawyer Alejandro Jose Pallugna, Turner’s legal counsel.
Ipan said they are now eyeing carnapping as the motive of the killing.
“Possibly carnapping, but we still need to establish it. We really have to focus on this case,” he said.
Police are also reportedly eyeing love triangle as the motive of the twin killing.
It was learned that Turner and Paredes have been living in for about four years, but the American reportedly has a wife.
Ipan added they already gathered photographs of two of the four suspects who were on board the vehicle when it figured in an accident.
It was learned that two of the four suspects have themselves treated at the Manticao Hospital after the accident. However, reports said they were referred to a hospital in Iligan City for further treatment but refused to be admitted.
Police authorities in Manticao said the suspects’ other companion “fetched” them in Iligan City.
Ipan earlier said they already have the names of the suspects but refused to divulge them pending further verification.
It was learned that the vehicle the suspects were riding collided with the rear end of a 10-wheeler truck parked along the highway in Manticao town Sunday at 11:45 p.m.
Police said two of the suspects suffered fractures while one was left unscathed and the other managed to escape. (Terry Betonio)
Published in the Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro newspaper on February 20, 2013.
Local news
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