The Unsolved Nida Blanca Murder Case: A Tragic End to a Filipino Icon
On the night of November 6, 2001, Nida Blanca, a famous actress, disappeared after going out with friends. Her personal assistant, Elena Dela Paz, noticed her absence and called friends to find out where she was but they had no knowledge of Nida’s whereabouts. Then, Elena went to the Atlanta Centre to look for her. The security guard there informed Elena that Nida’s car was in the parking lot, leading them to assume that she had gone out with a friend.
However, the next morning, a security guard found Nida’s car with blood on the floor, and Nida’s slumped body in the backseat. Nida had sustained 13 stab wounds, and bruises on her face. No signs of struggle indicated that the wounds might have been post-mortem.
Who was Nida Blanca
Nida Blanca was a highly acclaimed actress who achieved numerous accolades for her work in both film and television. She had also been appointed as a board member of The Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB).
Born as Dorothy Jones to a Filipina mother and an American soldier, she was previously married to Victorino Torres, with whom she shared a daughter named Kaye.
Later, while filming in the Philippines, she met Rod Strunk, a singer-actor widely known as Rod Lauren, and they got married in the United States in 1979.
The Autopsy Report
The autopsy report of Nida Blanca revealed that she had sustained 13 stab wounds, mostly small, superficial, and indiscriminate. The fatal wound was at her throat, which came from the left, cutting through the right, and hitting the jugular vein. Three wounds were near the armpit, and there were bruises on her face. However, there were no signs of defense wounds associated with a struggle, and there were no signs of a struggle inside her vehicle.
Possible Weapon and Time of Death
Initially, the wounds were believed to have come from at least two short knives. However, later on, it was discovered that Nida died from a single-bladed weapon measuring at least 5.5 centimeters. Her death was approximately between 4:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. on 7 November 2001, around three to four hours before the security guard found her body. According to a SOCO officer, rigor mortis hadn’t set in fully when they retrieved the body from the car.
Post-Mortem Wounds and Blood Trail
In a television show, a medico-legal said that the wounds were post-mortem, meaning it might have been done after she died. The blood trail that the security guard saw showed that the body was dragged from one place to her Nissan Sentra.
Parking Area
The 6th-floor parking area had allotted six spaces for the MTRCB. It was dark and did not have a security guard station nor surveillance cameras, aside from a wide-angle mirror. Photos show that Nida’s Nissan Sentra was parked at the very end, near the wall, and partially covered by a concrete pillar.
Suspects
Raul Orozco
The investigation into Nida Blanca’s murder led to the identification of several suspects, but no one was ever charged with the crime. One of the early suspects was a driver named Raul Orozco, who worked for Nida’s ex-husband, Victorino Torres. Orozco was allegedly seen near the parking lot where Nida’s car was found on the morning of the murder. However, Orozco was later cleared of any involvement in the crime.
Philip Medel
Another suspect was Philip Medel, Nida’s personal assistant at the time of her death. Medel was initially arrested in the Philippines and charged with the murder, but he was later released due to insufficient evidence. In 2009, he was re-arrested in the United States and extradited back to the Philippines to face trial. However, he died in jail in 2010 before the trial could take place.
Rod Strunk
Rod Strunk, Nida’s husband at the time of her death, was also considered a suspect due to their troubled relationship and his history of drug use. However, he was in the United States at the time of the murder and was never charged with any crime related to Nida’s death. Rod Strunk later committed suicide in 2007, further fueling speculation about his possible involvement in the murder.
Organized Crime Syndicates
The case also led to speculation about the possible involvement of organized crime syndicates due to Nida’s rumored gambling debts. However, no concrete evidence was ever presented to support this theory. Despite years of investigation and multiple suspects, the murder of Nida Blanca remains unsolved, leaving many questions unanswered.
Theories Surrounding Nida Blanca’s Death
After Nida Blanca’s tragic murder, three different theories surfaced as to who might have been responsible.
The first theory suggested that Nida had a gambling problem and had accumulated a large debt with a syndicate that lends money to gamblers. This theory was fueled by the fact that Nida was known to frequent casinos and the possibility that she owed money to these loan sharks.
The second theory linked Nida’s death to a bank account that was allegedly owned by former Philippine President Joseph Estrada. It was claimed that Nida was the beneficiary of the account and that her murder was related to the account’s supposed illicit activities. However, no concrete evidence was ever presented to support this theory.
The third and most plausible theory involved Nida’s failing marriage to her husband, Rod Strunk, also known as Rod Lauren. It was said that Rod had become a freeloader who was interested in Nida’s properties and insurance and that their marriage was on the rocks. Rod had a history of drug use and had been caught using drugs in the past. As a result, it was speculated that he might have been involved in Nida’s murder.
Roger Lawrence “Rod” Strunk’s Tragic End
Rod Strunk, Nida Blanca’s second husband, ended his life on 11 July 2007 by jumping from a second-floor balcony at the Tracy Inn in Tracy, California. He had been staying there for three days before his death.
Philip Medel’s Fate
Philip Medel, the primary suspect in Nida Blanca’s murder case, was imprisoned until his death on 7 April 2010 due to sepsis secondary to pneumonia.
The Case’s Status
Years passed, and the case remained at the presentation of evidence stage. Unfortunately, it will never go on trial because, under Philippine law, the criminal liability is extinguished once the accused dies. Thus, the case of Nida Blanca’s murder will remain unsolved forever.
Source: News websites and Wikipedia
