Neca Denise Lagria, 22, was brutally killed and dumped into the sea after she bit the tongue of a jeepney driver who forcefully kissed her. | Contributed Photos
CEBU CITY, Philippines – A young woman, full of life and ambition for her future, unexpectedly met her demise while commuting to work in Cebu.
Neca Denise Lagria was brutally killed and dumped off the waters at the South Road Properties on the early hours of Tuesday, November 19.
While her unsuspecting family thought she was at work as usual, her cold and lifeless body was found near the seawall.
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The man responsible for Denise’s death has been arrested and charged by local authorities for his crime.
All of this happened in less than one week, and her mourning family are now close to getting the justice she deserves.
For a better comprehension of what lead to Denise’s death, here’s a timeline starting from the day it all began.
Tuesday – November 19
A body of a dead woman is found near the seawall at the South Road Properties at past 6 a.m.
A witness spotted the woman’s body near the seawall and immediately alerted the local authorities.
The body of a dead woman is found near the seawall at the South Road Properties at past 6 a.m. on Tuesday, November 19. | Paul Lauro
It did not take long for police to arrive and retrieve the body of the woman, who was still unidentified at the time.
When members of the local media got hold of the incident, news of the identified dead woman blew up online.
Wednesday – November 20
Relatives identify the body as that of Neca Denise Lagria.
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Jnypher weeped as she identified her older cousin’s body after seeing her face and mole. The body also had bruises around the neck.
Jnypher Noval, a cousin of Neca Denise, was the first to identify the body at the funeral home where the victim’s body was brought to.
One by one, more of the Neca Denise’s relatives came to the funeral home after receiving the devastating news.
Police, on the other hand, were already pursuing leads to catch the perpetrator on Wednesday.
During their follow up investigation on the case, they uncovered the footage of closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras near the area.
What they saw was a public jeepney traveling in the area a short while before Neca Denise was found. This corroborated with the witness’ claim that a vehicle dumped the body.
With further probing, police were able to identify the exact jeepney and intercept it in Consolacion town. They then arrested the driver, Jason Cullamat, who allegedly had suspected shabu on his possession.
During interrogation, Cullamat revealed that it was his uncle, Brufal, who was the person who used his jeepney on the day the victim went missing.
He reportedly rented it to Brufal, while he stayed in Barili town from Saturday until Wednesday. This story was corroborated by his live in partner and a friend who was with him in Barili.
Thursday – November 21
Brufal is arrested in his house in San Remigio town, northern Cebu.
Police arrested him around 1:00 a.m.
Officers had to subdue Brufal who tried to run from them. As a result, he sustained injuries on his face and feet.
Operatives also recovered Lagria’s phone and shoes, and a .38 revolver from Brufal’s residence.
Brufal was named as the primary and sole suspect responsible for Lagria’s gruesome death.
Cullamot, on the other hand, will be facing separate charges.
At past 11:00 a.m., authorities conducted a press conference at the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) with Cebu City Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia in attendance.
The suspect, Godofredo Quiloan Brufal, has admitted to killing Neca Denise Lagria after he tried to kiss her inside the jeepney. He expressed feeling regretful for his actions and apologized to the victim’s family. | CDN Photo/ Emmariel Ares
Brufal was presented to the media and Lagria’s family as the suspect behind the woman’s death.
It was during this press conference that CCPO city director Police Colonel Antonietto Cañete announced that Lagria’s case has officially been solved.
The victim’s relatives were emotional as they confronted Brufal and demanded to know why he committed such a brutal crime to an innocent girl.
Brufal then confessed that he strangled Lagria to death in anger as she bit his tongue after he forcefully kissed her.
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Brufal also admitted that he found Lagria beautiful. However, he denied harboring any romantic feelings towards her and said that it was not his intention to kill her.
With his head down, the suspect expressed his regret and apologized to his victim’s family.
In spite of this, the Lagria family’s only wish is for Brufal to stay locked up in prison for a long time so that he would not have the chance to hurt anybody else.
Police also revealed that Brufal has been arrested before and was released only recently. He was allegedly involved in a total of eight criminal cases, including a case for acts of lasciviousness.
While he admitted to being a former drug user, Brufal insisted that he was not under the influence of illegal drugs or alcohol during the incident.
Monday – November 25
Authorities filed charges of homicide and theft against Brufal, who remained detained at the Mambaling Police Station’s custodial facility.
This was after they first filed charges for illegal possession of firearms against him.
Police, however, are still waiting for the results of the autopsy examination on the victim’s cadaver to determine if a rape took place. If it indeed happened, Brufal will be facing additional charges of rape.
Meanwhile, Lagria’s wake has been set up at their house in Sitio Silot, Brgy. Yati in Liloan town in northern Cebu.
Surrounded by her family and friends, Lagria will be brought to her final resting place on Saturday, November 30.