Summary
Highlights
On September 20, 2019, in Barangay San Jose, Santa Ana, Pampanga, a man was seen washing off blood before quietly leaving a house on his motorcycle. Hours later, when Mang Eduardo Marin returned home around 11:30 AM, he found his wife, Emy Marin, and their laundry helper, Analyn Cortuna, brutally murdered. The house was ransacked, indicating robbery as a potential motive.
Upon arrival, Santa Ana police and SOCO discovered Emy with seven stab wounds, and Analyn with three stab wounds, found slumped in a wash basin. A knife and a wooden plank with hair suspected to be from a victim were recovered at the scene. Authorities initially suspected robbery as the motive, as 50,000 pesos, jewelry, and watches were missing, and both victims were killed to eliminate witnesses.
Investigators found that the house's five CCTV cameras had been sabotaged, with cables pulled and the modem missing. However, the footage remained stored on the hard drive. Mang Eduardo's 12-year-old daughter, Fiona, helped retrieve the high-definition recordings. The footage shockingly revealed the perpetrator to be Erwin Ponce, Emy's nephew, whom she had raised and welcomed into their home.
The CCTV footage showed Erwin arriving on a motorcycle at 10:19 AM, helping Emy, and then subtly preparing for the crime by picking up a wooden plank. At 11:11 AM, he ambushed Analyn with the plank, striking her until she collapsed. He then attacked Emy. After assaulting Emy, he returned to further attack Analyn, dragging Emy into the bathroom and stabbing Analyn in the back before disconnecting the CCTV at 11:52 AM, ransacking the house, and fleeing.
Mang Eduardo expressed his rage and disbelief at Erwin's actions, emphasizing his wife's kindness towards her nephew. The Santa Ana police located and arrested Erwin Ponce the day after the murders. He did not resist. A case of robbery with homicide was filed against him, and he is currently detained at Pampanga Provincial Jail. Six years later, the Marin family and Analyn's loved ones continue to mourn, seeking justice and struggling to find peace.