A 44-year-old woman was found dead inside her residence in Sara, Iloilo on October 3, 2024.

Grace Fortaleza was found bathed in blood inside her residence in Barangay Arante at about 2 a.m.

Lota, elder sister of the victim, said her 17-year-old stepdaughter alias “Maria” told her of the incident.

"Kagina alas dos impunto gintuktok ako di sang bata kag nagahinibi siya nga napatay na kuno si Mama niya Grace. Tapos pagguwa ko, ginlantaw ko ang manghod ko nga si Grace, wala na guid sya (Kaninang alas dos impunto, kinatok ako ng bata at umiiyak sya, namatay umano si Mama Grace niya. Tapos paglabas ko, tiningnan ko ang nakababatang kapatid kong si Grace, wala na talaga),” Lota said.

Lota suspected that the perpetrators' target was her stepdaughter, not Grace.

Alias "Maria" said that she was raped by one of the perpetrators.

“Siguro ang rason guid ang akon guid nga manak ang ila nga tuyo kay indi man to sa kawat ang tuyo nila kay ang cellphone nga ginkuha ginhaboy man sila (Siguro ang dahilan talaga, ang aking stepdaughter ang pakay nila kasi hindi naman pagnanakaw ang pakay nila dahil ang cellphone na kanilang kinuha, itinapon naman nila),” Lota said.

Alias “Maria” said that she woke up when someone touched her. When she called for help, the man held her neck.  While she was calling Grace's attention, the grip reportedly went tighter. She saw that Grace was bathed in blood, and limp.

Grace sustained a fatal wound on her head, police said.

Wood with bloodstain was recovered near the victim.

The minor told the police that she was raped, and that she would be able to identify the perpetrator if she sees him again.

“Allegedly, gin-rape ini sya no, so subject ini sya sa medico-legal examination kun may rape man guid nga natabo sa iya (Allegedly, ni-rape sya, so subject sya sa medico-legal examination kung may rape na nangyari sa kanya,” Major Jogen Suegay, chief of Sara Municipal Police Station, said.

The perpetrators sneaked in the house through the window. A CCTV camera caught them while trying to sneak in, but they switched the direction of the camera away from the window.

“May ara kami nga ginasundan pero subject pa ini sa aton nga investigation kun ang person of interest guid man kay kaangtanan sa krimen (May sinusundan kami ngunit subject pa ito sa ating investigation kung ang person-of-interest talaga ay may kinalaman sa krimen),” Major Suegay added.

The authorities are yet to determine the motive of the crime.