8 teams sent to get leads on Davantes slay

MANILA, Philippines - At least eight teams of police officers were dispatched yesterday to various parts of Metro Manila and nearby provinces to gather evidence that would lead them to ad firm executive Kristelle Davantes’ killers.

The victim’s uncle, Vincent Davantes, said the task force assigned to the case has yet to inform them of the results of the autopsy on her body.

“We don’t know yet the result of the autopsy. We are still waiting for it,” said Vincent, who claimed he saw his niece’s body and thought she suffered a single stab wound in the neck, contrary to media reports that she had multiple gunshot wounds near her neck.

Chief Superintendent Christopher Laxa, the task force chief, said the autopsy indicated that Davantes died of asphyxia – meaning she had been strangled – and of multiple stab wounds.

He said they are checking all possible closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras in Bonifacio Global City and nearby gasoline stations, but their efforts proved futile.

“We didn’t get anything from the CCTV units we have reviewed because the resolution of the videos was poor,” he said.

Last Thursday, the Facebook page “Justice for Kae” had 65,097 likes and about 47,079 Facebook users were talking about the case as of yesterday.

“We appreciate the prayers, support and sympathy. We thank all those who are praying that her killers will soon be arrested,” Vincent told The STAR in a telephone interview.

No developments

National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) director Chief Superintendent Marcelo Garbo Jr. admitted there have been no positive developments in their investigation of the death of Davantes, 25, a senior account manager of McCann Worldgroup Philippines Inc. at Bonifacio Global City.

Members of Task Force Davantes had taken the testimonies of at least 10 witnesses who last saw the victim alive. “We have witnesses but not one of them have seen how the (killers) managed to get into Davantes’ vehicle,” a police investigator said.

Garbo said a team each from the Task Force Davantes members were scouring Metro Manila and nearby provinces in search for the victim’s gold Toyota Altis (PIM-966).

Task Force Davantes is composed of police officers from the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, Highway Patrol Group, Intelligence Group, Crime Laboratory, Southern Police District and NCRPO intelligence divisions and the Silang police.

“Each of the police teams had their own tasking. We expect them to hit pay dirt soon,” Garbo said.

He had earlier prioritized the search for Davantes’ car as he strongly believed it would give them “lots of leads” in solving her killing.

Garbo said they have yet to find out the motive for the killing of Davantes, who was last seen by alive by her friends and her boyfriend driving her car from the office parking lot at past 1 a.m. Saturday, five hours before her body was found under the Tibagan bridge in Barangay Sabutan in Silang, Cavite.

Davantes was stabbed in the neck, gagged with a handkerchief and her hands bound with her car’s seatbelt. The task force ruled out rape as there is no evidence that the victim had been sexually assaulted.