POLICE have recorded a second murder in this town for January after the lifeless body of Jilberto Solis, 43, was discovered Saturday night, Jan. 18, in the boundaries of Zone 8, Sta. Cruz.
Solis, a resident of Zone 9, Sta. Cruz, was found at around 8 pm with three gunshot wounds and a stab wound to the lower chest, according to Captain Reczon Talinis, deputy investigator of the Tagoloan Municipal Police Station.
Recovered at the crime scene were two empty .45-caliber shells, two misfired 9mm rounds, one unfired 9mm round, and a chest bag containing suspected drug paraphernalia, including an improvised toother, knife, and lighter.
A company guard near the area reported hearing three gunshots, but police have not identified any witnesses.
Talinis described the area as dark and isolated, with thick vegetation and no streetlights.
Police suspect there were two perpetrators based on the nature of the injuries and evidence.
“The wounds suggest the involvement of two suspects, one with a gun and another with a knife,” Talinis said.
Authorities believe the crime may be drug-related due to the paraphernalia found at the scene.
The first murder in Tagoloan this year occurred on Jan. 10 when 19-year-old Lady Grace Galo was stabbed to death inside her home in Dinogon, Sta. Ana.
She will be laid to rest today, January 20, while the search for her assailant continues.
Both provincial and regional police have pledged to expedite justice in these killings.
