THE Philippine National Police (PNP) Regional Forensic Unit 7 has conducted a forensic analysis of vocal coach Joel Jude Suson Unchuan's cellphone.
The 46-year-old Unchuan, also known as Coach "J" of Queens Road, Barangay Kamputhaw, Cebu City, was found dead in Sitio Palanas, Barangay Inayagan, City of Naga, southern Cebu on December 30, 2023.
According to Police Lieutenant Colonel Gerard Ace Pelare, the spokesperson for Police Regional Office (PRO 7) Director Brigadier General Anthony Aberin, the perpetrators and the victim might have known each other.
Pelare stated that since the cellphone is currently in police hands, they will be able to access any recorded texts or calls.
Pelare, however, clarified that they have not yet obtained a video showing the suspects' point of boarding.
"When we have the report sa forensic examination, we are positive nga naa na gyud tay ma-identify nga suspects hopefully, while ang atong mga imbestigador nag-backtrack pa padayon sa CCTV, because sa pagkakaron ang reports sa atong investigators on the ground wala pa gyud tay nakuha nga footage para ma determined nato diin dapita nisakay ang suspect," Pelare said.
(Once the forensic examination report is in, we are confident that we can identify the suspects, hopefully. Our investigators are continuing to retrace the CCTV because, according to reports from investigators on the ground, we still don’t have a footage that would identify where the suspect boarded the car).
The investigators' theory led the police to believe that Coach J was killed inside the car.
Authorities claimed that one or two people murdered Coach J by strangling him, which was one of the causes of his death.
Pelare said that during the backtracking of CCTV footage, the car paused for 10 to 12 minutes, indicating that occupants may have been engaged in some sort of activity.
Using the global positioning system (GPS) of Unchuan’s Toyota Fortuner, the police were able to track the victim's movements.
They discovered that the vehicle left Nivel Hills in Barangay Lahug, Cebu City, and traveled to Lapu-Lapu City via Mandaue City, where the victim texted a friend.
They were also able to trace the route of the car on its way to City of Naga, which gave them clues on where to obtain copies of the CCTV camera.
Unchuan even met with his acquaintances, who are now being investigated by the police.
The family of the victim also cooperated in the investigation.
Coach J's deals and other activities were disclosed to the authorities by the victim's family, and this information could aid in the inquiry.
The victim lost P30,000 in cash that was in the car pouch, therefore the police are currently investigating two or three possible motives: theft or personal resentment in his interactions with other people.
The police are still waiting for the forensic examination’s findings, which will support their investigation. (With TPT)