Investigators are examining a possible financial motive after the victim’s family identified her and provided police with valid identification.
RODRIGUEZ, Philippines — Philippine police are searching for the partner of a woman whose body was found inside a refrigerator in a rented apartment in Rodriguez, Rizal, as investigators examine the circumstances of her death and a possible dispute involving money.
The woman was found Sept. 16 in an apartment in Barangay San Jose after the property owner noticed a strong odor coming from the unit and sought help from local officials and police. Authorities later identified the woman through her father, who went to police after seeing images released as investigators tried to establish who she was. Police have not publicly released her name.
The woman and a man described by police as her partner had rented the apartment shortly before her death. The landlord told authorities that she went to the unit on Sept. 10 because paperwork for the lease still needed to be completed, but no one answered. After returning several days later and noticing the odor, the landlord contacted barangay officials, who called police. Officers responding to the apartment found the woman inside the refrigerator.
Rodriguez Municipal Police Station Chief Police Lt. Col. Arwyn Gaffud said preliminary forensic findings showed an injury to the woman’s neck and a mark around it. Police also recovered a piece of rope from the scene and said initial evidence indicated she may have been strangled. Authorities estimated that she had been dead for several days before the discovery. Investigators have not released a final autopsy finding publicly.
Police initially had difficulty confirming the woman’s identity because identification cards recovered at the apartment did not match government records, according to local reports. Her father later went to authorities with identification documents and identified his daughter. Police said he also helped investigators identify the man who had been staying with her. The victim’s name continued to be withheld in the reports reviewed through Sept. 19.
Philippine National Police spokesperson Col. Allen Rae Co said the woman’s partner is considered a person of interest and that a manhunt was underway. Police have not publicly announced a criminal charge against him in connection with the woman’s death. Investigators said he was believed to have been among the last people with the victim before she died, but authorities had not established his responsibility for the killing.
Co also said the man has an outstanding arrest warrant in a separate serious illegal detention case. Police said the woman had faced a serious illegal detention case as well and had recently posted bail. Authorities were examining whether that earlier case had any connection to her death, but no such link had been established publicly. An outstanding warrant in a separate case does not establish responsibility for the woman’s death.
Investigators are also considering money as one possible motive. Co said the victim’s father told police his daughter had been carrying a substantial amount of cash. Authorities have not disclosed the amount or established that the money caused a dispute. Police described the financial angle as one of several matters still being checked rather than a confirmed motive.
Police have also said investigators believe the refrigerator may have been used in an effort to slow decomposition. Authorities have not released evidence establishing exactly when the woman was placed inside the appliance or who did so. Gaffud said early forensic examination found no indication that the woman had been dismembered, and police continued to gather evidence about what happened inside the apartment.
Reports differ on whether the person of interest has been taken into custody. A People report published Sept. 19 stated that he was in custody, but Philippine reports published around the same period, including accounts citing the PNP briefing, said authorities were still searching for him. No authoritative report reviewed for this article confirmed an arrest in connection with the woman’s death.
The investigation remained active as police worked to establish a final motive, determine the circumstances surrounding the woman’s death and locate the person of interest. Authorities had not announced homicide charges in the case or publicly identified any other suspect as of the latest reports reviewed.