Montebon murder case Police tag live-in partner of 'killer'

CEBU, Philippines – The live-in partner of the suspect in the robbery and killing of 17-year-old student Karen Kaye Montebon last September will also face charges.

Senior Superintentdent Marlon Tayaba, acting chief of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group-7, said witnesses revealed Jennalyn Soon, the live-in partner of suspect Ruben Fernandez, had knowledge of the crime. 

Soon was reportedly with Fernandez right after the latter stole from Montebon's house and killed the victim. Both of them reportedly fled to Bohol.

Earlier, saying her conscience bothered her, Soon went to the police after Montebon's death was discovered. She was the one who told the police that Fernandez was the one who killed the girl and stole items from her house. She also said she did not know where Fernandez went after.

"Kasi una sabi niya sa amin, hindi naman niya (Soon) alam na nandun sa Bohol yung suspek (Fernandez)," Tayaba said.

However, some residents in Getafe town of Bohol testified later that they saw Soon with Fernandez there the day after the killing. Soon was also reportedly with Fernandez when they pawned the stolen items, including an iPad and wristwatch to someone in Bohol.

"Narinig pa nga raw na nagtatalo, like, bakit daw pinatay na ang usapan lang eh ganun," Tayaba said.

Senior Superintentdent Rey Lyndon Lawas, supervisor of the Special Investigation Task Group-Montebon, admitted they had suspicions about Soon since she and Fernandez were captured in a closed-circuit television (CCTV) camera knocking on the door of Montebon's house the morning of the day Montebon was found dead.

It was in the afternoon of September 15 when James Montebon found his daughter dead inside their house in Corinthians Subdivision, Lapu-Lapu City. Some of the girl's personal belongings appeared to have been stolen.

Police declared the case closed after Fernandez was gunned down two weeks later by an unidentified man in Nasingin Islet, Getafe, Bohol, just a few minutes before the police could arrive to arrest him. Police are still facing a blank wall on who could have killed Fernandez.

However, anti-crime group Crusade Against Violence questioned the decision of the police to close the investigation quickly and requested for reinvestigation as it believes Soon was involved in the killing.

Lawas said, however, that they did not have enough evidence to consider Soon a suspect at that time. — /JMO (FREEMAN)