A couple and their son were shot to death as they were about to have dinner in Sitio Guinam-an, Brgy. Buenavista, Murcia, in Negros Occidental, Thursday night.
Killed were Nelde Celayes, 59, his wife, Josefine, 60, and their son Juvy, 33.
“We heard the gunshots at about 7 last night but we thought that the sound came from firecrackers so we did not bother to check on what was happening”, neighbor Eric Musico said on Friday.
Maj. Sherwin Fernandez, Murcia police chief, said the victims might have known the suspects as their investigation showed that they prepared dinner for them prior to the incident.
The husband and wife were found dead inside their house while Juvy was found outside near a well, which could mean that he tried to escape to seek help, he said.
“We are looking at the possibility that Nelde was the target of the suspects but we are still conducting an investigation to determine the motive of the crime”, Fernandez said.
They are looking at a land conflict as the possible motive but are still gathering more information to identify persons of interest, he added.
Fernandez said they found fired cartridges of a .45 caliber pistol and an unknown firearm leading them to believe that there were two persons behind the killing.
The slain couple’s son, Neljee, said he found out that his parents and brother were killed on Friday morning when he arrived from Iloilo where he works.
Neljee said he did not know why his parents and brother were killed. He said his parents would call him if they had a problem and his brother had no known enemies.
“I really do not know why they would kill the three of them, I do not know the motive”, he said.
Neljee said his parents were peace-loving people and their routine revolved around their house, farm, and their chickens.
“I cannot explain what I feel right now. They did not have any pity because they killed them all”, Neljee said of the assailants.*