BACOLOD CITY - A young man believed to be a drug runner was found dead in a cemetery in Barangay Granada here on Wednesday.
Police identified the victim as Darwin Nuñez, 22, of Barangay Estefania here.
Capt. John Christopher Masangkay, head of Police Station 5, said that Nuñez was found with slash wounds in the neck and stomach and was on top of a tomb.
Prior to the discovery of his body, Masangkay said that Nuñez and his 18-year-old friend met with two unidentified men for an alleged illegal drug transaction at the cemetery on Tuesday night.
After the transaction was made, one of the two possible perpetrators asked Nuñez to accompany them again inside the cemetery to look for his missing wallet in exchange for a P500 worth of gasoline.
Nuñez then agreed while his friend was left outside the cemetery on his motorcycle.
After a while, Nuñez’s friend heard him (Nuñez) shouting, prompting him to escape, leaving the victim behind.
The following day, Nuñez was found dead on top of a tomb. A kitchen knife and a helmet were recovered at the crime scene.
After the discovery of the victim’s body, Masangkay said that Nuñez’s friend then revealed to the police that he was the one who initially transacted with the two perpetrators.
However, since he was just a (marijuana) user, he referred the two to Nuñez, whom he claimed to be his source of the alleged marijuana, Masangkay said.
Police then found out that Nuñez was not the target of the perpetrators, but it was his friend after the latter identified the recovered helmet as owned by the father of his girlfriend, whom he left pregnant with their child in Iloilo.
Masangkay said that it was a case of mistaken identity, and that the perpetrators were believed to be just hired to commit the crime due to grudges.
Masangkay said that Nuñez’s friend told them that he had previous threats but he ignored it until the incident happened.
Masangkay said they already have a lead, but refused to elaborate further as investigation is ongoing.
He said they are also checking the background of the victim, since there was an alleged illegal drug transaction that occurred prior to the killing, though it was just used as a medium to commit the crime.