Probers see robbery behind killing of Swiss businessman
Police investigators have lately focused on robbery as the motive in the killing of a 69-year-old Swiss magician and businessman inside his house Thursday evening.
Inspector Mario Monilar, chief of the Homicide Section, told The Freeman that, based on the initial data taken from the crime scene, there were indications that robbery could be the primary motive
in the stabbing dead Roger Roland Bertschinger.
“Wala pa tay concrete lead sa pagkakaron, pero so far dunay indication nga robbery gyud ang motibo ug mao pa na karon ang atong gi-pursue unless ma-brush aside na kung dunay laing anggulo,” said Monilar.
Some of the indicators noted by the police were that the victim’s wallet and his Toyota Corolla sedan, with license plate number THU-342, were gone. Police believed that there could be other valuables that the robbers may have taken from the house of Bertschinger.
Bertschinger, a magician performer who reportedly owned several KTV bars in the city including the Bounty KTV bar at the north reclamation area, was found dead with several stab wounds to the body and back.
The househelper, Josephine Hedlon, accompanid by Mobile Patrol Group policemen went to check the room of Bertschinger whose body they eventually found naked, and bathed in blood.
Hedlon lives in barangay Tabunok and goes to Bertschinger’s house in the morning to clean the house and water the plants. However, when she arrived there that morning, she saw the gate was left open, and the car was gone although the main door was locked and the leashed dogs were hungry.
The neighbors also told Hedlon that, the night before, they heard loud screams from the room of Bertschinger but they did not bother to check it out.
This report added to the unusual things she saw at the gate, caused Hedlon to worry, prompted her to call for police help, and informed the apartment owner about the matter.
Hedlon narrated that every time she reports for work she never goes to the victim’s room upstairs especially if Bertschinger is still inside.
Monilar said he might recommend for a polygraph be conducted on Hedlon to determine the veracity of her stories.
Homicide investigator SPO4 Alex Dacua, for his part, said that based on the stab wounds on the victim, at least two people could have done it. Police also found two knives in the room and these were believed to be the murder weapons.
Monilar added they had already informed the Swiss Embassy on the Bertschinger incident in order to inform the victim’s
wife Heidi who is now living in
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