The Court of Appeals has affirmed with modification the decision of a Binangonan, Rizal court that sentenced a policeman and his paramour to a maximum jail term of 40 years each after they were found guilty of conspiring to kill the latter’s nephew over a piece of property.

The brutal death and mutilation of Prudencio Villalva Jr. on Nov. 9, 1993 could have been a perfect crime had not the witness, sensing that he would be the next victim, decided to tell the gory details of the murder that led to the arrest of SP02 Anastacio Santos Jr. and Amelita Dela Tonga-Tuan.

Santos denied the allegation and his “special relationship” with Tuan but could not offer the court an explanation when confronted with pictures showing their romantic liaison.

Tuan, on the other hand, claimed she was in Samar when the victim was killed but failed to present receipts that indeed she traveled to the Visayas or presented persons to prove her claim.

The witness said Santos and Tuan along with two other male suspects arrived at Villalva’s house along Pitimini st., Binangonan, Rizal shortly before midnight of November 9.

Minutes later the witness heard a loud sound from the direction of the victim’s house which was nearby and saw Santos hit Villalva with a lead pipe in the head while another held the victim still. Another hit Villalva with his fist. Suddenly, Tuan handed Santos a samurai sword and ordered him to finish Villalva off.

Then Santos placed Villalva’s severed head in a sack and his two severed arms in another. The two sacks were placed in a septic tank. The remaining body parts of Villalva was placed in another sack and thrown in a newly dug hole nearby.

Santos sent the witness to buy gasoline which he used in burning the bloodied clothes of the victim to dispose of any evidence and warned him and his wife not to reveal what they saw.