The Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) has filed a complaint of murder at the Cebu City Prosecutor’s Office last Friday against Craig Keith Ratcliff, an Australian national, and his wife, Maria Aisa Baldomar-Ratcliff, for the killing of an American national identified as Timothy Avery Wilson.
Wilson’s charred body was found on March 17, 2016 inside a Toyota RAV4 that was set on fire in Barangay Busay.
Lawyer Innocencio dela Cerna, legal counsel of the Ratcliffs, said there is no warrant of arrest for his clients yet.
“That (the filing) has been most awaited by my clients because at least kaning nia ari, at least he and his wife can clear their names,” Dela Cerna said.
“They are here in the Philippines. Ngano man mutago nga wala may warrant?” he said.
According to the joint affidavit of the case officers, who are members of the Philippine National Police (PNP) and assigned with the Crimes Against Persons Unit of the Cebu City Police Office, the information provided by Jocelyn Sabo-Wilson, who claims to be the victim’s wife, started their investigation, which eventually led to Keith Ratcliff as their primary suspect.
Investigators considered Ratcliff’s debt to Wilson as the motive in the killing. Ratcliff’s debt amounted to $700,000 as shown by a lending agreement, which was overdue and Wilson’s repeated demands to Ratcliff for payment.
Witnesses also pointed to Ratcliff’s hiding his real identity and suspicious activities involving the vehicle where Wilson’s remains were found.
According to the investigators’ affidavit, Ratcliff’s wife was the one who drove the white Toyota Innova, which Ratcliff boarded after the Toyota RAV4 was set on fire.
Senior Insp. Elisandro Quijano, homicide section chief of the Cebu City Police Office, also pointed out that the burned remains had been positively identified through a DNA test as that of Wilson.
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