GENERAL SANTOS CITY –- Police authorities have remained clueless on the cause of the death of a grade 10 student whose decomposing body was found on Jan. 18 at a vacant lot in Barangay San Isidro, this city.

Colonel Joemar Alexis Yap, city police director, said probers have yet to determine whether Jazdel Gabayeron, 16, a grade 10 student of General Santos City SPED Integrated School, was murdered or committed suicide.

The victim was reported missing on Jan. 12 after she was accompanied by her father to school that day.

Her body was found in a decomposing state inside a comfort room of an abandoned house in Purok Malipayon, Barangay San Isidro, this city.

Police recovered a .380 caliber pistol beside the victim’s body which was stained with blood.

Yap said the cause of the victim’s death could not be ascertained yet since the Philippine National Police-Regional Forensic Unit did not immediately conduct an autopsy on the victim as their medical officer was reportedly on leave for schooling.

In the absence of an autopsy finding, Yap said investigators could hardly conclude if the victim was killed or had committed suicide.

The victim’s family had already requested the National Bureau of Investigation to conduct the autopsy.

The victim’s family had earlier hinted that the victim could have committed suicide since the firearm which was recovered at the crime scene was reportedly owned by her father.

Adone Gabayeron, the victim’s father, claimed that his firearm placed inside the cabinet was missing since her daughter failed to come home on Jan. 12.