Cebu City police are verifying a woman’s claim that it was her husband whose remains were found inside a burnt Toyota RAV 4 in Busay Cebu City.
P03 Alberto Diamante, investigator of the Cebu City Police Office Homicide Section said Jocelyn Wilson identified the man as her American husband Timothy Wilson, in his 60’s and reportedly a retired member of the US Navy.
But Diamante said they required Jocelyn to support her claim by submitting dental records of her husband and other documents that would prove the man’s identity.
Diamante said the man was completely charred and no identification marks left in his body when found yesterday inside the Toyota Rav 4, which was believed to have been intentionally set on fire by another foreigner.
The police are now trying to locate Ratty Ratcliff, an Australian from Calatrava, Negros Occidental said to be the victim’s friend.
Ratcliff was believed to have checked in at the Cebu Hilltop Hotel in Busay and used the name Kevin Kline as alias. Ratcliff was also suspected to have negotiated with a jeepney driver to tow the RAV 4 vehicle towards Lower Busay where the vehicle was set on fire.
Based on Jocelyn’s account, P03 Diamante said, Ratcliff picked up Timothy in the couple’s house in Tajao, Pinamungajan.
Though Jocelyn is from Toledo City, the couple lives in Pinamungajan town.
Jocelyn said she was not there when Ratcliff went to their house on Thursday morning but their gardener saw him.
Ratcliff reportedly used a grey Toyota Rav 4 vehicle when he went to pick up Timothy which led Jocelyn to believe that the body found inside the burnt vehicle in Busay was that of her husband.
Diamante said Ratcliff reportedly owed US half a million dollars to her husband.
Diamante said Jocelyn was accompanied by her husband’s German friend.
Jocelyn and the German national also confirmed that the foreigner who checked in at the Cebu Hilltop Hotel was Ratcliff based on what they saw from the hotel’s CCTV footage.
The police flagged Ratcliff as a person of interest. He was not yet located as of now.
It was not yet determined what caused the death of the man inside the vehicle.
Diamante said the body is now at the Rolling Hills and will be subjected to an autopsy to find out the cause of his death.