Julianne “Julie” Rodelas, born on July 14, 1992, was a young woman on the cusp of realizing her dreams. The youngest of her siblings, the 20-year-old was diligently studying hotel and restaurant management while pursuing a promising career as a part-time model and a TV talent for a major network. Her mother, Luz, described her as a daughter full of ambition, with plans to work abroad for a better future. But on the evening of November 6, 2012, that future was stolen. Julie never came home.

The next morning, on November 7, the body of a young woman was discovered along 18th Avenue in Cubao, Quezon City. With no wallet or personal identification, she was a Jane Doe. It was clear, however, that her life had been ended by multiple gunshots. Curiously, while all her personal effects were gone, her hands were tightly clutching a plastic bag. Inside was a small item that seemed insignificant at the time but would soon become a pivotal piece of evidence.

The Quezon City Police District (QCPD) immediately began their investigation. Residents near the scene recalled hearing gunshots around 5:00 AM, followed by the sight of a dark Mitsubishi Montero speeding away. Some quick-thinking locals managed to jot down a partial plate number: TWO 5.

While police were working this lead, Julie’s family was consumed with worry. Her mother knew Julie had gone to school and was scheduled to meet her best friend, Altea Altamirano, to discuss a potential project with a TV producer. Altea, also a model, and Julie were incredibly close, even calling each other “twins.”

It was Altea who had helped Julie navigate the world of showbiz. While it wasn’t unusual for Julie to be out late for gigs, this time felt different. Their anxiety turned to dread when Altea’s brother, Christian, arrived at their home with Julie’s belongings, claiming she had been abducted.

The family’s frantic search ended in the most heartbreaking way imaginable. After a taxi driver mentioned the unidentified woman found in Cubao, they made their way to the city morgue. There, Julie’s brother, Alvin, confirmed their worst fears: the young woman was his beloved sister, Julie. The family was shattered.

Working with the grieving family, police zeroed in on the last person known to have seen Julie alive: her best friend, Altea Altamirano. The official report confirmed that Julie’s untimely de@th was the result of gunshot wounds to her head and body. The family’s pain was compounded by suggestions that she may have suffered a horrific ordeal before her passing, though official reports remained inconclusive on the matter.

Investigators invited Altea to the precinct for an interview, but she never showed up. This, combined with other emerging evidence, raised serious red flags. The key was the plastic bag Julie was holding. Inside, Scene of the Crime Operatives found a fast-food receipt, issued at 2:00 AM on November 6. Police obtained the restaurant’s CCTV footage for that time and saw the purchase being made by a man later identified as Fernando “JR” Quiambao Jr., a tattoo shop owner and, most importantly, Altea Altamirano’s boyfriend.

With this discovery, all attention shifted back to Altea. Police began discreet surveillance on her home. A witness confirmed seeing a dark Montero with the plate number TWO 5 frequenting the residence—the same vehicle reported at the crime scene. The vehicle was registered to JR Quiambao’s mother. After a few nights of observation, police followed a car from Altea’s house to the Quiambao ancestral home in Pampanga. In the property’s lot, they found it: the dark Mitsubishi Montero. With their suspicions confirmed, police took Altea and JR into custody for questioning.

Altea’s initial statement was that of a terrified victim. She claimed that while walking with Julie, a vehicle stopped, and two men forcibly took her friend, leaving her scared and alone on the street. However, under intense questioning, her story crumbled. She confessed that there was a plan, but insisted that it was never supposed to end this way.

She claimed the motive was rooted in resentment. According to Altea, Julie had been spreading a rumor that Altea had a child, which she believed was costing her modeling jobs. Feeling disrespected, she and her boyfriend JR devised a plan to abduct Julie and “teach her a lesson.”

The state’s key witness, a participant named Jaymar Warlae, laid out the grim details of what truly happened. Altea had texted JR their location, allowing the abduction to be staged. Julie was taken to a warehouse in Culiat, Quezon City. The plan went horribly wrong when Warlae accidentally said JR’s name aloud, revealing his identity to Julie.

Panicked, JR left the warehouse to deal with Altea, who was at the police station creating her alibi. In his absence, Warlae stated that two other men, Efren Talib and a friend named Aldos, subjected Julie to an unspeakable act. When JR returned, a decision was made. Julie knew who he was and had to be silenced forever.

They put her back in the Montero, pretending they were taking her home. According to Warlae, it was on this final ride that Aldos and Talib carried out the irreversible act. They abandoned her on 18th Avenue, but not before firing more shots to ensure there were no witnesses.

Because of the testimony, Altea Altamirano and JR Quiambao were charged for their part in the incident. While some participants were apprehended, two of the main perpetrators, Aldos and Talib, reportedly escaped and remain at large. The wheels of justice in the Philippines turn slowly, and years after the initial hearings in 2013, the case has seen few updates. Altea, JR, and Warlae remain in custody, awaiting a final verdict, leaving a grieving family still waiting for closure in the de@th of a daughter taken by the person she trusted most.