Police have witness in dzME anchor's slay

Investigators hope to get their first solid lead on the killing of a female radio anchor in Malabon City Thursday, after finding a witness who claimed seeing men conduct surveillance on her shortly before she was killed. Northern Police District spokesman Superintendent Rio Gatacillo said late Thursday the witness, who he did not immediately name, saw the unidentified men tailing dzME anchor Marlina "Len" Flores-Sumera, 44. "Prior to the incident, nakita ng testigo noong nagtatambay siya, may nagsu-surveillance sa kanya. Kaya itong testigo natin isasama sa Crime Lab para may computerized sketch ng mukha ng suspect," Gatacillo said in an interview on dzRH radio. (Before the incident, the witness who was hanging around in the area saw someone conducting surveillance on Sumera. We are taking the witness to the Crime Lab so we can come up with a computerized sketch of the suspects' features.) Attempt to cover tracks Sumera was gunned down near her house in Malabon City, as she was preparing to go to the dzME studios near Monumento for her public-service program. (See: Female radio anchor shot dead in Malabon ambush) Gatacillo also noted the gunmen may have tried to cover their tracks, as police failed to immediately recover shells at the crime scene. However, he said an initial inspection of the victim's wounds indicated a 9-mm pistol may have been used. "Walang nakuhang slug, walang nakuhang basyo dahil allegedly pinulot ng gunman," he said. (Police didn’t recover any slugs or shells because the gunman allegedly picked them up.) Gatacillo also said that as far as the Malabon police station is concerned, Sumera did not report any death threat before she was killed. Land dispute eyed as possible motive Gatacillo said one of the possible motives they will follow up involves an alleged land dispute. Sumera's mother network dzME, which condemned the killing, said Sumera's family and colleagues suspect a dispute over a four-hectare lot. "Si Sumera ay tumutulong sa ibang mga kahalintulad na problema ng mga tagapakinig," it said. (Sumera was helping out in similar problems raised by the radio station’s listeners.)—JV, GMA News