Task group formed to probe American scientist’s slay

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines — A special investigation task group has been formed to hasten the probe into the murder of American scientist Kent Edward Carpenter, who was shot dead at his home in Sibulan, Negros Oriental on Sunday night.

Carpenter, 73, was a marine biologist whose pioneering research on the Verde Island Passage in Luzon helped establish the Philippines as a global center for marine biodiversity.

The Negros Island Region (NIR) police has identified a person of interest in the case, according to Col. Allen Rae Co, spokesman for the Philippine National Police.

Co said that probers of the NIR police are validating information pertaining to the person of interest.

Investigation showed that Carpenter and his Filipina partner were watching television at their home in Barangay Ajong when three men barged in at past 11 p.m.

One of the men shot Carpenter in the head, killing him. The suspects reportedly sexually assaulted Carpenter’s partner.

Police said the men took the victim’s personal belongings including a laptop, backpack and cash.

Co said probers are looking at all angles including the possibility that the robbery was intended to conceal the motive for the murder.

“It could have been done to mislead the investigation, although it is too early to tell,” he said.

The NIR police said the task group, composed of experts and special police units, will conduct intelligence gathering and case buildup, process evidence, and identify and arrest suspects.

Forensic examinations are being conducted to establish medical details that may be helpful in the investigation, the NIR police said.

Probers are reviewing footage of closed-circuit cameras, interviewing potential witnesses, validating intelligence reports, and reconstructing the suspects’ movements before and after the attack.

NIR police director Brig. Gen. Romano Cardiño condemned the incident and assured the public that all measures are being done to immediately solve the case.

Cardiño appealed to anyone with information about the killers to report to the nearest police station or to the Sibulan municipal police. He gave assurance that any information would be treated with confidentiality.

Carpenter, a part-time professor at the Silliman University-Institute of Environmental and Marine Sciences, had obtained international recognitions for his contributions to marine science.

He co-authored the landmark 2005 study that identified the Verde Island Passage as the “center of marine shore fish biodiversity,” a discovery that strengthened the Philippines’ status as one of the world’s richest marine biodiversity hotspots.

Recently, Carpenter campaigned for the declaration of the Verde Island Passage as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Protect Verde Island Passage said Carpenter’s works highlighted the global importance of the Philippine marine ecosystem.