In the complex and often painful world of romantic relationships, the act of breaking up can be one of the most difficult experiences. For most, it ends in tears and heartache.

But in two separate, chillingly similar cases—one in the Philippines and the other in Indonesia—the simple desire of a young woman to end a relationship was met not with acceptance, but with a possessive and brutal rage that led to a horrifying and tragic end. Both stories unfold in the transient anonymity of a motel room, and both end with a devastating act of depravity.

The Case of Katrina Gantan: A Secret Revealed, A Life Cut Short

In October 2010, the story of 22-year-old Katrina Gantan shocked the community in Pampanga, Philippines. An intelligent and hardworking call center agent, Katrina was the hope of her family.

With her mother working as an OFW, she was determined to become the family’s new breadwinner, supporting her siblings and the grandmother who had raised her.

Her life was full of promise. But on October 2, her journey was cut tragically short when she was discovered in a local motel room, the victim of a brutal attack.

The scene that greeted police was as pristine as it was horrific. The room had been meticulously cleaned, but the victim had been subjected to unimaginable violence, and a crucial part of her remains had been deliberately taken by the perpetrator. The initial investigation was a mystery.

But a composite sketch, created from the description of a motel employee who saw Katrina check in with a man, provided the first major breakthrough. When Katrina’s uncle saw the sketch, he was stunned. He recognized the man as Adones Reyes, Katrina’s 30-year-old coworker.

In a deeply cynical act of deception, Adones had even been “helping” the family search for Katrina after she was reported missing.

Police quickly pieced together the story. Katrina and Adones, who was married with a child, were having a secret affair. The investigation revealed that Katrina had recently discovered the truth about his family and had decided to end the relationship.

Unable to accept her decision, a possessive Adones lured her to the motel under the pretense of talking things over. The evening ended in a violent confrontation. He took her life in a fit of rage and then committed a final, depraved act in a desperate and twisted attempt to conceal her identity before cleaning the room and fleeing the scene.

A week later, after his arrest, the missing part of Katrina was discovered under a bridge in a nearby town, allowing her grieving family to finally lay her to rest. Adones, despite his initial denials, was charged and faced the grim reality of a life behind bars.

The Case of “Risna”: A Final Meeting, A Fatal Confrontation

A similar tragedy unfolded in West Java, Indonesia, in March 2022. “Risna,” a 23-year-old business administration graduate and a talented tattoo artist, was a free-spirited and independent woman.

For two years, she had been in a secret relationship with a fellow tattoo enthusiast, 33-year-old “Gom.” The relationship was tumultuous, marked by Gom’s intense jealousy over the male friends in Risna’s vibrant social life, which she often documented on social media.

After a weeks-long fight, Risna had decided to end the relationship for good. They agreed to meet one last time at a motel in Bandung to talk. On the evening of March 3, Risna arrived at the motel to find Gom drinking with his friend, “Dian.”

After the friend stepped out to give them privacy, the final, fatal argument began. Fueled by alcohol and a sense of rejection, Gom’s pleas turned to anger. When Risna confirmed she was breaking up with him, he flew into a rage and took her life by strangulation.

In a horrifying echo of the Katrina Gantan case, Gom then committed a similar act of depravity against his former girlfriend. He enlisted his friend Dian to help him clean up and dispose of the evidence. They carried a plastic bag from the room through a back exit and discarded it in a grassy area near the motel. The next day, after a room boy discovered Risna’s remains, police found the missing part nearby.

The investigation was swift. Though the motel’s CCTV was not working, forensic experts used Risna’s own cellphone, which had been left in the room, to confirm that Gom was the last person she had been with. He and his friend Dian were arrested just days later. Gom confessed to the act, and in February 2023, he was sentenced to 15 years in prison, with his accomplice receiving a shorter sentence.

The tragic stories of Katrina and “Risna” serve as a chilling reminder of the dangers of possessive rage. Both were bright, young women with promising futures, whose simple desire for freedom and independence was met with a final, brutal act of control by men who refused to let them go.