Police identifies suspect behind slay of Campbell

By Ronron
April 20, 2007

Police on Friday said it has identified the suspected killer of US Peace Corps volunteer Julia Campbell but refused to disclose his name until an appropriate case has been filed against him.

Supt. Joseph Adnol, spokesman of the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) Police, said the male suspect was tagged by a 10-year-old child as the last person seen last April 8 at the vicinity where Campbell was hastily buried.

Campbell was found dead last Wednesday morning at Barangay Battad, Banaue in Ifugao province. She was last seen alive on April 8 before going on hiking at the Banaue Rice Terraces.

Adnol said the suspected killer is a resident of Barangay Battad but is missing now.

“He left the village. Maybe, he heard that he is already a suspect. We know that one sign of guilt is to get away,” Adnol said.

Adnol said a hard wood was also recovered at the crime scene, believed to be the weapon used to hit Campbell in the head.

He said police are not discounting the possibility that the motive of the killing is robbery, and that Campbell was sexually assaulted by her perpetrator.

But he said only the scientific investigation on the case, particularly the autopsy on Campbell’s remains, will eventually confirm what really happened to her.

The cadaver of Campbell remains refrigerated at the Loyola Memorial Chapels and Crematorium in Makati City, awaiting the arrival of an American forensic pathologist from the United States who is expected to assist Philippine authorities in the post-mortem examinations.

Adnol admitted that the people of Banaue were shocked by the incident, especially since the place is frequently visited by US Peace Corps volunteers.

“Even in the entire Cordillera, there was an impact of what happened, especially after learning that Ms. Campbell had helped a lot of people already,” Adnol said.

Campbell, 40, had served as a peace corps volunteer in the Philippines since March 2005, according to the US Embassy in Manila.

But despite the “terrible tragedy,” US Embassy spokesman Matthew Lussenhop assured that there will be no pull out of the US Peace Corps in the country.

“No specific changers are in place at this time… Absolutely, no pull out,” he said.

But he said all American citizens have been advised to highly prioritize their safety and security all the time.

“We wish to say that we really appreciate all the excellent cooperation and support from the Philippine authorities, from the police, from the Armed Forces of the Philippines, from the provincial and local authorities in Banaue and Battad, and the local residents and volunteers who helped us to search,” Lussenhop said./DMS