No forensic proof yet vs suspect in Campbell slay

Forensic experts from the Philippine National Police (PNP) have so far failed to find any evidence linking Juan Dontugan to the slaying of US Peace Corps volunteer Julia Campbell even as authorities prepare criminal charges against the 25-year-old woodcarver who is being hunted for her murder.

The police authorities expect to formally charge Dontugan tomorrow or Monday at the latest.

PNP Crime Laboratory director Chief Supt. Arturo Cacdac expressed hope that forensic experts might be able to find "something" from the deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) analysis.

"Based on the test we conducted we were not able to lift any latent print from the pieces of evidence taken from the crime scene because the items were exposed to sunlight and rain," said Cacdac as he pointed out the span of time the crime was committed to the time the evidence were recovered.

Their "strongest" pieces of evidence that would link Dontugan to the murder – the maong pants and the rice pestle – did not have any blood on them.

This developed as Campbell’s remains were cremated under tight security in Parañaque City yesterday morning with US embassy and police officials in attendance. Her ashes will be flown to her family in the United States.

"Unfortunately, that’s how it is (no presence of any other set of fingerprints or blood from another person)," said Cacdac. "We are still hoping that the DNA examination will yield something... the presence of another set of DNA that there is another person to be identified."

During a briefing at the PNP Press Office yesterday afternoon, Cacdac reported that two sets of analysis – dactyloscopy (study on fingerprints) and serology (study on blood serum) – have been conducted on at least 18 pieces of evidence recovered from the crime scene and from Dontugan’s house.

Cacdac said the forensic analysis on two pairs of maong pants and the rice pestle recovered from Dontugan’s house "yielded negative results" of blood.

He said the stains on the pants, which were initially reported by the police as blood, turned out to be something else.

"We would like to report that there is no indication of blood from the maong and pestle," Cacdac said.

However, he said, "serology analysis on Campbell’s clothes yielded positive of blood."

Forensic experts will still conduct analysis on the blood to check if this belongs to a person other than Campbell.

"It is a sad development but we are not losing hope, we are pinning hope that the DNA will yield something," said Cacdac. "We have to think positive, we will exhaust all possible means to find something."

So far, Dontugan, who went hiding hours after Campbell’s body was found, is at best, only circumstantially linked to the crime at this point.

Investigators only have the testimony of three boys who said they saw the suspect carrying a backpack similar to that owned by the American volunteer apparently shortly after the crime was committed. Their statements have to be supported with physical evidence to stand in court.

Cordillera police director Chief Supt. Raul Gonzales had reportedly promised a P50,000 "gift" to the mother of Dontugan if she could surrender her son also to clear his name, if ever.

The US government had also offered P500,000 reward for anyone who could give information leading to Dontugan’s arrest.

Gonzales earlier admitted that the US has exerted pressure to expedite the investigation into the killing of the 40-year-old American volunteer.

Gonzales said US officials want the case solved immediately.

But this is easier said than done, said Sr. Supt. Edgardo Bayangos, regional chief of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group-Cordillera (CIDG-CAR).

Bayangos said they want an airtight case against Dontugan but without the forensic findings matching the blood on the wood with that of Campbell’s, only circumstantial evidence is at hand.

The police had been combing the area for items and looking for links to Dontugan, the only suspect so far known to police, since Campbell was found by sniffing dogs in Batad, Banaue town, Ifugao 10 days after she went missing.

Other forensic evidence have also been submitted for examination in Manila including Campbell’s camera, although her backpack and cellular phone remain missing, possibly carted away by the suspect. – With Pia Lee-Brago, Artemio Dumlao, Rhodina Villanueva, Marijoe Yu, Jan Camille Canivel, AP