The Unforgiven Crime

Hole of Justice

By Peter G. Jimenea

The Unforgiven Crime

In 1987, Nicholas Newall and wife Elizabeth disappeared from their home after their sons had visited them for a champagne dinner to celebrate Mrs. Newall  48th birthday. The police eventually learned that brothers Roderick and Mark Newall, sons of the couple are the culprits.

This murder story committed by the brothers transfigures the murder story of a Filipino-Chinese businessman, his wife and young daughter in their-mansion at General Luna Street, Iloilo City. This happened few years ago and police claimed no sign of forced entry, nor theft as motive of the crime.

Then ICPO Director, P/Supt. Norlito Bautista in an interview, disclosed that it was an inside job done by culprits who knew their way around the house. The only difference in their story is the Filipino-Chinese businessman, his wife and daughter’s bodies were found dead inside the house.

From bloodstains found in the house of the Newalls, the police knew they were killed there. But the place had been scrupulously cleaned-up and dried out with traces of mopping in every corner. The same idea was found to have been used by the killers in the Filipino-Chinese businessman, wife and daughter’s murder.

Like what the police theorized in the Newalls’ murder, the prime suspects in this Filipino-Chinese case are also his two sons. According to the police, the eldest during interview by investigators that very day, had been acting suspiciously like high on drugs and even pompously told them that his idols are Adolf Hitler and Saddam Hussien!

Back to Roderick and Mark Newall, they inherited their parents’ wealth when it was ascertained that they were dead. The 66-foot yacht that the family owned went to Roderick who immediately sailed out to the sea while his brother Mark went to Paris for good.

But in 1992, five years after the Newall couple’s murder, the Royal Navy frigate Argonaut arrested the 26-year old Roderick at sea, took him to Gibraltar as new evidence was presented to the courts in a move to extradite him. Mark who is a resident of Paris was also slapped with extradition proceedings.

Roderick fought the legal battle desperately trying to have the tape-recording excluded in the proceedings which apparently implicated himself and another person in the murder of his parents. Since his arrest Roderick has made three suicide attempts.

In the case of a Filipino-Chinese businessman, his two sons who are suspects in the gruesome murder were arrested and sent to jail. The RTC Judge hearing the case recommended no bail for them. But with the help of the grandmother who hired a popular lawyer from Manila, their murder case was mitigated.

It was reversed by the Court of Appeals (CA) and the accused were entitled to bail. Here, we cannot easily dispel the public misperception that the Appellate Court is controlled by people who cannot resist the temptation of greed. One of the compelling evidence is their TRO for sale!

Now you see? Even in jail people with money have different treatment than you and me. Elevating a grievance to the court for redress is a privilege for the poor litigants that sometimes, judicial remedies from hoodlums-in-robe are subjected to “over-use,” “misuse” or “abuse.” Lowly Court employees are the most sorely tempted to accept bribe but don’t!

A heart-breaking point in this children’s motive to kill their parents is a wanton desire for – money. Brothers Roderick and Mark Newall killed their parents for inheritance. The sons of a Filipino-Chinese businessman killed him, his wife (the stepmother) and young daughter because they were not yet allowed to manage one of the family’s businesses on reason of their ages.

Parents may also have misgivings to their children but we never thought of this consequence. This unforgiven crime committed by young people is evil, it can only be. But God knows crime must pay. In its ruling of 2010, the SC set aside the CA’s resolution and upheld the RTC judge’s decision. The Tan brothers were sent back to jail extra ordinem –beyond the ambit of appeal.