The DNA of Renato Llenes, the self-confessed suspect in the killing of a teenage girl in Cebu, matched with the samples found in the pair of scissors used in the crime.
“The DNA exam conducted by the PNP crime lab on the pair of scissors reveals positive findings of presence of DNA of both victim Christine Lee Silawan and suspect Renato Llenes in the said scissors,” PNP spokesperson Col. Bernard Banac told reporters Wednesday.
Last April 11, PNP chief Gen. Oscar Albayalde lauded the police for the arrest of Llenes on April 9 along Bangkal Road, Barangay Bangkal, Lapu-Lapu City for carrying an unlicensed pistol despite the election gun ban.
The police confiscated from Llenes a .45-caliber pistol and a magazine with six live ammunition.
Albayalde said Llenes, who has a live-in-partner and five children, used a pair of scissors in stabbing Silawan and in scraping off her face. The suspect said he saw a “Momo challenge” way of killing and did it on the 16-year-old girl.
Albayalde said Llenes executed an extrajudicial confession on the same day he was arrested and “voluntarily narrated his involvement in the killing of Silawan.”
The PNP chief said the suspect did the confession because “he was haunted by his conscience.”
Albayalde said Llenes introduced himself to Silawan on Facebook using a dummy account by the name “CJ Diaz” and sent her a friend request, which the victim accepted.
Llenes admitted he has been addicted to drugs and that he was under its influence when he killed the victim.
Albayalde said Llenes was assisted by two lawyers—a private attorney and a member of the Public Attorney’s Office, when he executed his out-of-court confession.
Albayalde said the police would still coordinate with the National Bureau of Investigation in Region 7 (NBI-7), as some pieces of evidence, such as the victim’s cellphone, were still in its custody.
The country’s top cop said they would file a separate case concerning the confession of Llenes, adding “it’s up to the court to decide on the case of the 17-year-old boy,” who is still under the custody of the local social welfare office of Lapu-Lapu City.