2 suspects in slay of ex-US Navy man’s wife identified

TARLAC CITY — Police have finally identified the two suspected guns-for-hire who murdered the wife of a retired US Navy serviceman about three months ago in a classy restaurant here.

Superintendent Tito Bayangos, city police chief, said the two suspects, Joebert Licono, alias Cedie, a native of La Paz, Iloilo, and Oliver Millo, are now being hunted down.

The two suspects have been tagged as behind the March 29 killing of Maritess de Leon-Applegate, wife of retired US Navy officer Michael Emmanuel Applegate and a scion of a wealthy family here.

Maritess, 36, was slain inside the classy Copperchino Café and Restaurant, which her elder sister, Cristina de Leon, owns. The restaurant is located along the MacArthur Highway here.

At the time Maritess was slain, she was having an argument with her former boyfriend, Vic Angeles, a known contractor in the province. The two had not reportedly formalized their breakup when she married Applegate.

While Maritess and Angeles were arguing, two men entered the restaurant and each ordered a cup of coffee. Maritess, her sister and the contractor then decided to move to one of the café’s private KTV rooms.

A few moments later, the two men barged into the KTV room and shot Maritess with a 9-mm., killing her on the spot. The gunmen took the mobile phones of the two sisters before fleeing.

Archie Mutuc and Paul Poblete, the restaurant’s cook and waiter, respectively, were able to give a description of the two gunmen.

Investigators were able to match the gunmen’s cartographic sketches with the pictures of Licono and Millo, said Bayangos who described the two as "professional" killers.

At present, he said, investigators have a "circumstantial suspect" who could have masterminded Maritess’ killing.

He said the arrest of Licono and Millo would be the "key" to finally solve the case.