AN autopsy examination on the bodies of the two children who were found brutally killed last Monday showed they both died of asphyxia by strangulation.

PNP 7 Crime Laboratory Chief and medico-legal officer Nestor Sator, who performed the autopsy on Christoph Von Borstel, 10, and Christy May, 5, said that apart from
covering the heads of the victims with plastic bags, Felix Ortiz also pressed the victims’ heads to the bed.

This was the primary factor the victims immediately lost their breaths, Sator said in a mobile phone interview.

“Kay kung ang kadto rang plastic bag, pwede pa to kaginhawa ang mga bata kay wa man gihigot,” he said.

Sator said that both children struggled to hold their heads high, hoping to catch air.

Bernardita Tabal Von Borstel, the children’s mother, however, believes that apart from choking her children to death, Ortiz may have also hit them.

Ortiz, 35, who resided in Surigao City, used to be Bernardita’s live-in partner and is the father of Christy May. Christoph, on the other hand, is Bernardita’s son by her deceased German husband.

Bruises

Bernardita said both Christoph and Christy May bore bruises on different parts of their bodies. Most prominent were the bruises on Christoph’s arms and on Christy May’s abdomen.

Sator, however, said that the bruises on the children’s bodies were called post mortem lividity, which were due to the gradual gravitational flow of the blood.

On Ortiz’s cause of death, Sator said he died by hanging himself.

Sator said the killing of the two children and the Ortiz’s suicide happened around 9 p.m. Sunday.

The bodies were found at 11 a.m. Monday, inside Room 211 of The Apartelle along Escario St., Cebu City where Ortiz was billeted.

Senior Insp. Mario Monilar, Homicide Section chief, said in a separate interview that his office is only waiting for Sator to submit a copy of his findings to complete the documents in closing the case.

Bernardita, in an interview with reporters at the wake of Christoph and Christy Mae at Cebu Rolling Hills, lamented why Ortiz killed the two children.

“Ako nalang unta ang iyang gipatay. Kung duna siya’y kasuko, ako nalang unta, wa niya iapil ang mga bata,” she said, who was crying during the interview.

She said Christoph and Christy May were very close.

Bernardita said Ortiz destroyed what could have been the bright futures of her children.

She said both Christoph and Christy May excelled in their schools in Germany and Surigao City, respectively. Christoph was even awarded for excellence in Math.

Birthday gifts

She said Christoph wanted a new bicycle and a Lego watch as birthday gifts. Christoph would have celebrated his 10th birthday on the day he was found dead together with his sister.

Bernardita confirmed that she “frankly” told Ortiz to look for another woman to be his wife.

She said her only link to Ortiz was because he is the father of Christy May.

Although they have separated, she said they openly communicated, being Christy May’s parents. She also regularly sends financial support to ensure the education and provide for the needs of her daughter.

Bernardita also did not see anything wrong in getting into a relationship with another man, saying she is not married to Ortiz.

Ortiz’s older sister Marietta Dumas, who arrived from Surigao City, said she was shocked to learn about the tragedy.

She said she did not expect her brother to kill the children and then himself.

She said Ortiz was the tenth of 12 siblings. She described him as a jolly and good person and was a religious man.

Ortiz’s body will be brought back to his hometown tonight through a commercial passenger vessel.

Dumas said she would request for Bernardita to allow her (Dumas) to also bring Christy May’s body to Surigao.

Bernardita, however, said she cannot allow it. (JTG)

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(January 7, 2009 issue)
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