Foul play found in old woman's death

CEBU, Philippines - Autopsy reports revealed that there was foul play in the death of the 75-year-old retiree who was found lifeless inside her own room at Villalon Drive, Barangy Capitol Site, Cebu City last Tuesday.

Dr. Nestor Sator, Philippine National Police medico legal officer, said Teresita Nengasca Cue, a former employee of Cebu Doctors Hospital, sustained several broken bones and contusions which resulted to her death.

Sator pointed out that the Cue may have fought with her assailant based on the scratch marks found around the victim’s mouth.

He also revealed the victim was punched on the mouth after a tooth was found dislodged inside the victim’s mouth.

Sator said the force of the punch might have caused the victim to fall to the floor, causing a blunt trauma at the back of the victim’s head.

However, what surprised Sator was the enormity of the damage the victim had on her chest.

“Almost all of the victim’s ribs were broken,” he said.

He said Cue may have received a powerful punch or the assailant may have stomped on her chest.

 “It is possible that the assailant is a huge man based on the intensity of damage the victim had,” Sator said.

Sator thinks that Cue was killed late in the afternoon judging from the contents of her stomach.

He said the victim knew the assailant. 

“I only found coffee inside her stomach. Normally, according to her son Ronald, her mother eats her dinner between 6 to 7 pm,” he further added. 

Cue was found dead by her only son, Ronald, 30, inside her room on Tuesday at around 11:30 pm.

Sator ruled out the possibility that the victim’s son was involved in the crime since Ronald has an injured tendon in one of his feet.

Investigators said the victim’s face was streaked with blood though there were no wounds on the victim’s body.

The police initially believed that robbery was the motive behind the attack since the victim’s room was in chaos when the police arrived after the assailant reportedly went through her things. But with the autopsy results, authorities are now eyeing other motives behind the victim’s death.

Investigators are planning to invite the victim’s husband in order to shed more light on the victim’s mysterious death. —(FREEMAN)