Murder of the Past

“Police report have confirmed that the mangled body that is found yesterday at the city last evening is similar to the method of killings of one of the controversial serial murderer, Andrew Mendez, 16 years ago at Delhi province. However, based on our initial investigation, the convicted murderer is already died. This is Kamilla Riz Dela Torre, SNS News reporting.”

My boss clapped when he saw that my exclusive report about the murder that happened yesterday became the number one trending topic on the internet. Many people is grieving to the unhuman act that happened to the victim, some are even petitioning to bring back the death penalty in the country to punish those who commit such evil crimes.

The netizens are alarmed on how cruel did the victims suffer in the hand of those evil creatures, so did I.

After seeing the condition of the victim yesterday, I kept vomiting and thinking about his pitch dark eyes and mangled body that I cannot help myself but to feel sympathize and want to bring justice.

Because of that feeling, I eagerly decided to leave the office and go to the police station to gather some information. I can hear my boss calls my name but I pretended that I didn’t hear him because my mind is too occupied.

“You’re not welcome here!” Police Senior Inspector Fajardo said when he saw me entering his office while holding my notebook and pen.

He didn’t bother to keep the things that he is examining when I entered the office. I tried to take a peek on it and smiles victoriously when I saw that it was the murder case yesterday. I knew that he will get the case.

“Do you think it’s just a copycat murder?” I asked him while he examines every photo. I tried to hold one picture but he taps my hands and motions me to not touch anything. I waited for his response but he seems serious while looking to the photos. Instead of sitting down and watching his reaction, I take the chances of looking in the evidence of the crime while surveying the photos that he was looking at.

“The suture!” I exclaimed when I noticed something.

Yesterday, when I heard that the murder is similar to the killings 16 years ago, I tried hard to find all of the information about the case 16 years ago and I’ve memorized all of the evidences and pictures.

Inspector Fajardo look at me before getting the picture of the body that was found yesterday and compares it 16 years ago.

Based on what I have saw, the body of the victim 16 years ago are sutured in the same way. The murderer takes it’s time to suture the body from neck up to the below of the heart, the suture are not ordinary and are not typically thought in medical programs. During that time, the suture became the significant symbol of the crime because of its uniqueness and the cruelty of the murderer to not include the lower part of his victims, emphasizing that they have no organs left in their body.

Fajardo and I are close friends when we are in college and he used to be my best friend that’s why it is okay for him if I tried to look into the investigation as long as I don’t let the public know anything.

I surveyed him what he writes in the whiteboard the important details of the crime and it’s similarity 16 years ago.

Pitch black eyes

No organs left

Same stitches

Bloods are drained

That is what he wrote before gathering all of the evidences and putting it back to the safety box. I want to ask him where he is going but I lost my chance when he just walked out from the room.

Once again, I tried to think something that can help us to catch the culprit but the lead that all we have is rotting 6 feet under the ground.  3 years after he was convicted, he began showing schizophrenic behavior until one day, he just died inside his prison cell. The investigation report shows that he lost his sanity because of guilt from his victims, however, there are writings in his cell that didn’t match this claim. His journal shows his daily entry of repenting and saying that he didn’t do the serial killings and someone keeps on visiting him, while feeding him the information that’s why he is losing his mind.

However, the last part of his journal is intentionally ripped that’s why the police concludes that he is just a crazy murderer.

“Not so quick” Inspector Fajardo tease when he saw me arriving to the jail station. So, this is where he went, he could’ve just told me.

“ What do you got?” I asked before sitting beside him and getting his coffee out of his hands. He watch me for a second then amusedly shakes his head.

“I’ve tried to check but the original case file 16 years ago is missing and there are some reports that some of the evidences are also missing,” the older police officer said to Fajardo.

“ How is that possible? And no one reported it?” I interfere to their conversation as soon as I heard about the negligence. Fajardo tried to shut me up by glaring but I just rolled my eyes in annoyance.

“Here, no one knows that I scanned the original copy before it’s gone. I have doubts about the investigation before but I cannot seem to solved it.”

He handed Fajardo a brown envelope. So, this is why he seems to be in hurry back in the office because he knows that the evidences that they handed are lacking.

“Fucking copycat!” I heard Fajardo cursed before dropping me off the broadcasting station. We scanned the papers while we are in the car and the similarities are terrifying. I feel bad for him because he is being pressured by the higher ups to close the case already when he knows that there is definitely something wrong about the case.

I half-run to my station when I notice that I am late for our meeting.

“ Hey!”

“ Hey, Riz!” I heard someone shout my name so I turned back just to saw Fajardo catching his breath while trying to catch me up. My eyes widened when I saw my reports paper on his hand. That’s why he is chasing after me.

“ Thank you!” I said before running to the office without returning my gaze into him. I calmed myself down for a bit before opening the door and relieved that the meeting is not starting yet. I tried to quietly sit down but my boss, who is currently presenting feel my presence and throws me a deadly glare.

“ Reports!” he said before slamming the table. The dragon is spitting fire, again.

“ Sir, I need to talk to you!” I said to my boss when the meeting ended and I cornered him when everything left the meeting room. I hand the folder that I prepared to him and began presenting my ideas. I discussed that for our documentary programs scheduled every night, we should try to broadcast the murder that happened similar to the serial murders happened 16 years ago and that it is good for the ratings of the show since the murder before is a controversial one but I was shocked when all he can give me was a no.

“ But sir!” I protested but I abruptly stop when he gives me the deadly glare, again.

“ If the murder that happened yesterday, will happen again tomorrow then I will give you my go signal!” he finally said before slamming the door and I just stood there, wishing for a crime to happen.