4 workers charged for killing American, wife in Negros Occidental

BACOLOD CITY — Charges were filed against four workers of the American and his wife who were robbed before they were killed and dumped into a deep well near their house in Murcia town, Negros Occidental.

Charges of robbery with double homicide were filed on Tuesday against Randy Tugbong Nunez, 25; Raymart Almario Medel;  a 17-year-old minor identified only as Toto; and Randy Perez, for robbing American Kevin Fleischauer, 58, and his wife Lolly Mangilaya Fleischauer, 60, before killing them and dumping their bodies in a 20-foot well near their house at Villa Emmanuel, Barangay Blumentritt, Murcia.

Nunez, Medel and the teenager were arrested in their respective homes during simultaneous operations about 9 p.m. on Monday at Sitio Dahlia, Barangay Pueyin, Sagay City, Negros Occidental, said Insp. Lawrence Gerald Bathan, Murcia police chief.

A police report stated that cops recovered from the suspects P15,000 in cash, twelve $20-dollar bills, four $50 bills, two $10 bills and one $1 dollar bill, assorted pieces of jewelry, two laptop computers, five cellular phones, an MP3 player, a 9mm Parabellum pistol with one magazine and seven live ammunition, a wallet, a cell phone charger and electric grinder.

Perez was arrested in his relative’s house in Barangay Bato, Sagay City about 9:25 a.m. on Tuesday.

The police said Toto and Medel admitted that they hit Kevin and Lolly with a piece of wood on Aug. 4. The woman was still moving when they dumped her into the well. The American, who was unconscious was then thrown into the well.

The four then went home to Sagay City where they went on a spending binge and told their relatives that Kevin left the country and gave them money.

In the meantime, friends of the couple started to worry when they did not see the couple for about two weeks.

Last Aug. 16, a group of Open Door Baptist Church members led by Pastor Nelson Cunanap went to the couple’s house in Murcia to check on them.

They found the house in disarray while the main door was damaged and the door to the main bedroom was open.

The Mitsubishi Adventure was parked inside the compound but they could not find Kevin and  Lolly. They decided to call the police.

A search inside the compound led to the discovery of the bodies inside the well.

The body of Kevin was found on Sunday morning. His wife was found on Monday morning.

A witness told the police that the four workers of the couple in their organic farm were seen leaving the victims’ compound about 8 p.m. on August 4.

They didn’t show up for work the next day and instead went home to Sagay City, Negros Occidental.  This raised suspicion with the authorities. (Carla P. Gomez, Inquirer Visayas)