American national found dead inside rented apartment in Dumaguete

The body of an American national lies inside a rented apartment in Dumaguete City. | photo courtesy of Dumaguete police

DUMAGUETE CITY, Negros Oriental—An American national was found dead inside his rented apartment in Barangay Mangnao here on Monday evening, December 1, 2019.

Police Lieutenant Colonel Wilfredo Alarcon, Dumaguete City Police Chief, said the body of Harold Kenneth Smith, 69 years old and a native of Michigan, USA, was discovered by the apartment owner, Ely Abarado.

According to a police report, Smith was alone in his rented apartment when the owner noticed that the victim didn’t come out for the whole day.

This prompted the owner to open the back door of the apartment.

Initial investigation revealed that once inside the living room, Abarado saw the body of the victim with no clothes on.

Police found no signs of foul play.

All the personal belongings and valuable items of the victim were also intact, the police said.

Joan Catan Smith, wife of the victim who arrived at the apartment later, said her husband was suffering from a Chronic Pulmonary Disorder.

The City Heath Officer is expected to conduct a post mortem examination on the body of the American national to determine the exact cause of his death. 

Police Staff Sergeant Catalino Entea, investigator on the case, said the wife of the victim won’t have the body autopsied since she was fully convinced that her husband’s death was caused by health problems. /bmjo