A Life of Joy Broken in Auckland

Perhaps for those who did not know her, she was merely a tragic victim.

But for those who loved her—especially her devoted husband and children—she was everything. She was a cheerful friend, a diligent employee, a loving mother, a kind grandmother, and a deeply affectionate wife.

This is how they describe Blesilda Limcangco Gotengco, or Blessy. The life of the Gotengco couple, spent raising their children and grandchildren, was long filled with happiness and color. Their story spanned 35 years of happy marriage.

However, the joyful narrative of the Gotengco family was suddenly stained by tears and overwhelming rage.

The lifeless body of Blessy was discovered in a cemetery in Auckland, New Zealand, and the subsequent details revealed by the investigation left a deep, searing wound in the hearts of her bereaved family.

Who was Blesilda Gotengco, and how did she meet such a painful end?

Born on May 20, 1958, in Cebu, Blessy’s past was recounted tearfully but with a smile by her husband, Mr. Antonio Gotengco, in an interview. He met his future wife when they were in elementary school.

Though he was two years her senior, they connected through her closest friend, who was his younger sister. They began dating when they came of age, and she accepted his proposal on February 21, 1979.

From that day on, the number 21 became a personal ritual for Mr. Gotengco.

Initially, he wore number 8 while playing basketball, but after his girlfriend accepted him, he permanently switched to number 21.

In 1980, he earned a business degree, but a job offer in a different province necessitated a period of long-distance separation.

After four years of maintaining their long-distance relationship, they decided to marry in April 1984. Their profound love resulted in three children—two sons and one daughter.

To provide the best for their children, the family emigrated to New Zealand in 2004. There, they happily raised their children as a complete family, encountering few problems that they could not quickly resolve.

The Disappearance and the BMW

On May 24, 2014, Mr. Gotengco was away on a business trip in the Philippines. Like any other day, Blessy went early to her job at Tower Insurance.

Since her husband was absent, her friend and co-worker, Violla Sia, drove her to work. They were supposed to commute home together at 5:00 PM, but Blessy declined, saying she needed to finish some work. Ms. Sia went home alone.

Blessy left the office at 7:00 PM and boarded the BKH Transport bus number 973.

From the Albert Street bus stop, she would typically walk 700 meters along Birkdale Road before reaching her home. The next morning, May 25, 2014, at around 3:15 AM, Blessy’s daughter, Beya, returned home from work.

It is a custom among Filipino families to first look for the mother upon arriving home. Beya did the same but was puzzled when she could not find her mother. She decided to call her brothers, but they also had no idea where Blessy was.

Using an iPhone app, Beya tracked her mother’s location. When she went to the area at 6:00 AM, she found the phone lying in a grassy area of Salisbury Road, only 91 meters from their house.

In the same general area, she also found her mother’s shoes and lunch box. Immediately alarmed, she called the police.

When officers arrived, based on the location of the victim’s belongings, they initially suspected a hit-and-run accident. They speculated the victim might be injured or suffering from memory loss. They decided to canvas the area.

During questioning, they spoke with a woman who reported cooking dumplings the previous night when she heard a loud scream from a woman around 7:30 PM. When she looked outside, she noticed a BMW sedan speeding away from the scene.

The police tracked down the bus Blessy last rode. From its dashcam footage, they identified a BMW that aggressively overtook the bus. The sedan was registered to 28-year-old Tony Douglas Robertson—a man already well-known to the police.

The Shadow of Tony Douglas Robertson

Who was Tony Douglas Robertson, and what was his connection to Blesilda Gotengco? Tony was born in Hamilton on February 28, 1987.

Abandoned by his father early in life, he used his mother’s surname. In his youth, he lived in various towns before moving to Tauranga in his teens.

Those who knew Tony described him as a kind, obedient, cheerful, and particularly respectful young boy, especially toward the elderly.

However, when his mother remarried, Tony felt neglected. He began associating with bad influences and, starting at the age of 16, became involved in various conflicts, eventually being jailed for theft, attempted murder, public disturbance, and other related charges.

In 2005, he was jailed for a far more serious offense: he was convicted of abducting and molesting a five-year-old girl.

According to the report, he promised the child a gift and, once in the car, pretended to speak to her mother on the phone to convince the girl to join him. He took her to an isolated waterfall park.

A searching police officer grew suspicious, arrived at the park, and found Tony sexually assaulting the child.

During the hearings, he adamantly denied all accusations. However, the evidence was undeniable. He was sentenced to seven years in prison, which was later extended by six months for assaulting a prison guard.

Tony was released in December 2013 after completing his sentence. He initially stayed at a prisoner’s aid rehabilitation society home but was soon kicked out for failing to comply with the rules.

His mother returned from Australia to Auckland to help him start anew, securing a two-bedroom apartment for him in Birkdale.

Despite his attempts to start over, Tony violated several release conditions. A psychologist deemed his behavior a continuing risk to society, placing him under an Extended Supervision Order for ten years.

As a crucial condition, he was required to wear a GPS anklet to monitor his location. This also came with an 8:00 PM curfew. Any violation carried severe penalties.

The GPS Trail to the Cemetery

Using Tony’s GPS anklet data, investigators were able to trace his location before Blessy’s disappearance. They noticed that he had gone to Eskdale Cemetery on May 24, 2014, and returned to the exact same location the following day.

Police immediately went to Eskdale Cemetery. There, they found the lifeless and severely battered body of Blessy Gotengco. She was hidden under thick grass, covered with leaves, and wrapped in a blanket.

The autopsy, conducted by pathologist Dr. Carl Wig, was horrifying. Blessy had sustained numerous stab wounds across various parts of her body.

Her neck was severely slashed, severing her windpipe. Based on Dr. Wig’s analysis, all wounds were inflicted while the victim was still alive, evidenced by the presence of blood in her lungs.

Due to the sheer number of severe injuries, the pathologist had difficulty determining the exact cause of d34th. In addition to the stab wounds, she suffered severe bruising and had broken bones in her ribs and thigh. She also had missing and broken teeth.

Dr. Wig stated that Blessy likely could have survived the initial impact of a vehicle if she had received immediate medical attention.

Most damningly, they found semen from Tony Robertson on Blessy’s body. Tony Douglas Robertson was immediately arrested for the murder and r*pe of Blesilda Gotengco.

The Tearful Confession and the Verdict

During the case hearing, the prosecution meticulously laid out the events of the evening of May 24, 2014.

They argued that Tony deliberately struck Blessy with his car while she was walking, forcefully abducted her, and drove her back to his home, where he assaulted and killed her.

The next day, he wrapped her body in a blanket and disposed of it at Eskdale Cemetery.

Sergeant Blair Atkinson of the Serious Crash Unit testified that the tire marks found near the scene of the victim’s scattered belongings indicated a deliberate impact.

Forensic scientist Rian Kier Morgan Smith used Luminol at the scene where the body was found, revealing traces of blood that suggested the victim had been dragged to the spot.

Investigators also found blood traces in Tony’s car and located some of the victim’s belongings buried in the backyard of the suspect’s apartment, including a knife with traces of Blessy’s blood.

Detective Page testified that during their investigation of Tony’s car, they noticed several suspicious modifications, including a missing passenger seatbelt. Nearly a meter of the seatbelt had been cut.

There were also cuts and scratches on the back seat, and a large part of the back seat cushion had been replaced with new foam. A Luminol test also detected blood traces on the passenger seat and the rear area.

Michael Nelson, an auto glazer, testified that Tony called him to his house to repair a shattered windscreen on his BMW.

Nelson found it suspicious that the glass had already been removed, as he usually performs that step. He also noticed blood inside the car. Tony claimed he was joking with an acquaintance, and the glass broke accidentally.

On the second day of the hearing, before the defense could begin its statement, Tony abruptly terminated his lawyer’s service and requested to defend himself. The judge granted his request but assigned his former defense lawyer, Chris Wilkinson, to guide him.

When Tony took the stand, the courtroom fell silent. Tears immediately began streaming down his face as he spoke, seemingly attempting to evoke pity from the jurors.

He tearfully recounted how his life spiraled out of control due to family problems, including the d34th of his aunt and his mother’s stroke.

He claimed he was unable to visit his mother in Australia due to lack of money, and the subsequent miscarriage of his partner led him to drug addiction, losing his job, and being abandoned by his friends and his father.

He confessed that on May 24, 2014, he was at Eskdale Cemetery to buy illegal drugs. He claimed hitting Blessy with his car was an accident due to his drug-fueled state.

Upon seeing her injured, he panicked and put her in his car, driving home to meet his curfew. He claimed he was hysterical and didn’t know what to do, so he stabbed her.

Crucially, he claimed she was already lifeless before he stabbed her, saying he only did it to mislead the investigation.

He vehemently denied the r*pe, claiming the semen found on Blessy was planted to frame him. However, this was the same claim he made during his 2005 molestation trial. The jury did not believe his tears.

Tony Douglas Robertson was found guilty and sentenced to life imprisonment for r*pe and an open-ended term for murder. His appeals to both lower and higher courts were denied.

The Call for Accountability

Though the culprit is imprisoned, the Gotengco family believes justice is incomplete.

They believe the Department of Corrections should be held accountable for releasing Tony, arguing that he was a clear danger to society. Had they not released him, Blessy would still be alive.

The Department of Corrections countered that they acted within the law, as Tony had completed his sentence, although they did impose the Extended Supervision Order and the GPS anklet. They monitored his location but did not anticipate the killing.

Mr. Gotengco remembers his wife, Blessy, as the light of their home, the glue that held them together. In her absence, they live in darkness.

For Tony’s mother, however, she remains in denial, believing her son is innocent despite the evidence and his own courtroom confession. A mother taken from her family, and a mother desperately clinging to a flawed truth.