Christine Lee Silawan Case: What Happened To Christine Lee Silawan?

Christine Lee Silawan was a 16-year-old high school student and church collector who was gruesomely murdered.

Silwan was found dead in a vacant lot in Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu and her body was discovered beyond recognition; half of her face was skinned to the skull and her body had multiple stab wounds.

Silawan was also naked from the waist down and was possibly raped.

What Happened To Christine Lee Silawan?

Prior to her murder, it was reported that 16-year-old student Christine Lee Silawan’s unidentified boyfriend supposedly used a fake Facebook account to lure her into meeting him.

Investigators discovered that the suspect posed as another man on Facebook, trying to “court” her.

On March 11, 2019, Silawan was found dead in a vacant lot in Lapu-Lapu City with multiple stab wounds and her face was mutilated.

An autopsy further revealed that her tongue, trachea, esophagus, parts of her neck, and her right ear were missing.

The murder suspect, identified as ‘John’, was arrested at his home in Barangay Maribago, Lapu-Lapu City on March 16, 2019, based on conversation exchanged on Facebook Messenger.

According to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), if Silawan’s ex-boyfriend known only as John killed her, he could be charged in court.

Forensic investigation also revealed that Silawan was murdered sometime between 6:00 pm and 7:00 pm on March 10, 2019.

The March 10 CCTV footage showed Silawan walking with a man in the early evening; this was the last known footage of her.

Silawan’s gruesome murder elicited controversy and political debate over the proposed reinstatement of the death penalty as a punishment for heinous crimes.

The Public Attorney’s Office forensic team confirmed on April 2, 2019, that Silawan was raped.

The team found bleeding in her genitals; they also discovered that acid was possibly poured onto Silawan’s face before being peeled off.

It was discovered that Silawan was strangled to death using a rope, and the forensic team suspected that at least three people may have been involved.