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Campbell slay witness now in custody; robbery angle eyed


At least one witness who could shed light on the death of US Peace Corps volunteer Julia Campbell is now in the "custody" of police investigators. Cordillera regional police head Chief Supt. Raul Gonzales bared this Thursday morning even as he said robbery appears to be the most likely motive behind Campbell's death. "Meron tayong witness na lumabas. Ide-develop natin ang information na sinabi niya. As of now isa pa lang (We have at least one witness who has agreed to testify. We are processing the information we initially got. As of now, there is only one witness)," Gonzales said in an interview on dzBB radio. But he refused to give more details about the witness, citing "security" reasons. Gonzales also said the police are now verifying information that suggests Campbell planned to tour the Ifugao Rice Terraces but got waylaid by robbers. Campbell's body was found in a mountainous area in northern Luzon Wednesday, eight days after she was reported missing. As of Thursday morning, Gonzales said personnel from the United States Embassy identified the remains as those of Campbell, though the police will bring the body to Camp Crame Thursday. Piecing together information reaching him, Gonzales said Campbell planned to see the Rice Terraces and went to the area by train. She made arrangements with locals to guide her there, and was even offered a massaging service once she got there. "Lahat ito di natapos dahil di siya nakaabot sa usapang lugar (But all of those plans never materialized because she never got to the meeting place)," he said. Gonzales did not say if the witness now in police custody verified some of the information he mentioned. When asked about the motive of "foul play" that killed Campbell, Gonzales said it was "most probably robbery." He added Campbell's killers hastily buried her to cover their tracks. "Gusto pagnakawan si Campbell, ito ang tinitingnan naming angulo. Sana makakuha tayo ng karagdagang witnesses para makapagbigay ng leads (So far robbery appears to be the most likely motive. We are hoping to get more witnesses who can give us more leads)," he said. When asked about the possibility that Campbell may have been sexually assaulted or raped, Gonzales said they could not confirm it at this stage. "Di natin ma-confirm yan. Ang bangkay nasa advanced decomposition na, unless there would be forensic exam (We cannot confirm it at this stage. The body was in an advanced stage of decomposition when it was found)," he said. - GMANews.TV
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