Ronnie Apostol, born in the Philippines in 1966, was living and working in Australia for Kaleidoscope International, a market research firm.

The company was owned by his long-term girlfriend, Jenny Necesito. Their work often took them abroad, to places like New York and Sydney.

They also enjoyed lavish vacations together – Paris, Santorini, even skydiving in Dubai. To outsiders, they seemed like a perfect, successful couple.

But this image shattered on the afternoon of November 17, 2019. Emergency services received a call reporting Ronnie was unresponsive in the kitchen of their home on Alto Street, South Wentworthville.

Initially, responders thought it might be an accident. However, upon turning his body over, they discovered a knife embedded in his chest.

The wound was fatal; he was declared de@d at the scene. The home immediately became a crime scene.

Forensic teams meticulously examined the premises, recovering the weapon used. Jenny, being present at the home, was taken in for questioning as per standard protocol.

In her police interview, Jenny admitted she found Ronnie’s body. However, she claimed the wound wasn’t from a knife but was caused by Ronnie hitting his head when installing an electric fan.

She alleged the heavy fan accidentally fell, struck his head, and caused him to lose consciousness. Investigators were skeptical of her account.

With insufficient evidence to hold her, Jenny was temporarily released while the investigation, dubbed Strike Force Rofe, continued. Authorities appealed to the public for information, awaiting the official coroner’s report.

Weeks later, after quiet and meticulous questioning of potential contacts, investigators obtained a search warrant for Jenny’s new residence on Rodd Road, Lumeah.

They brought her in for a second interview. Jenny again denied any involvement in Ronnie’s passing. She mentioned having mental health struggles but insisted she could never harm the man she loved.

Despite her denials, authorities believed they had sufficient evidence and charged her with unlawfully causing his passing. A judge denied bail, deeming her mentally unstable and a potential risk to the public.

At her arraignment on July 1, 2021, Jenny pleaded not guilty to both the primary charge and a related assault charge.

The trial began, revealing the complex and tumultuous reality behind the couple’s glamorous facade. Jenny’s defense argued that relationship problems didn’t equate to guilt.

Taking the stand, Jenny’s story changed again. She now claimed that on the morning of November 17, 2019, she found Ronnie in the kitchen joking about harming himself with a knife.

She alleged that in the middle of this “joke,” he suddenly turned serious and inflicted the fatal wound upon himself. She claimed he collapsed before she could react.

Under cross-examination, she repeatedly denied causing the injury herself. The Crown Prosecutor argued Jenny was the only person with a motive.

Their first angle was heartbreak. They presented CCTV footage from Sydney International Airport dated November 10, 2019, just one week before Ronnie’s passing.

The footage showed Jenny visibly enraged, shouting at Ronnie, hitting him on the head, and throwing his phone.

The prosecutor explained that upon arriving in Sydney, Jenny had discovered Ronnie was having an affair. He admitted to her that he was in a relationship with a nurse in the Philippines named Viva, a relationship that had lasted eight or nine years.

This revelation devastated Jenny, causing her to have a breakdown in the airport bathroom for several hours. She reportedly threatened not to come out until Ronnie broke up with Viva.

Jenny’s sister testified that Jenny had called her from the bathroom, crying, feeling used like an “ATM” to support Ronnie’s other life. Eventually, they reportedly reconciled and went home together.

But the revelations didn’t stop there. The jury learned Ronnie wasn’t just juggling two women; he was also legally married. He had wed Geraldine in the United States in 2011.

Prosecutors revealed Jenny and Ronnie’s secret relationship began around 2013, coinciding with their frequent work trips.

Even more shocking, Jenny herself was also married – to Jonathan Olivarez, who happened to be Ronnie’s brother-in-law.

Despite their secret relationship, Jenny and Ronnie had tried desperately to have a child together, undergoing multiple failed IVF treatments. In 2018, Jenny finally became pregnant.

Tragically, she suffered a miscarriage in December of that year. The prosecutor stated Jenny blamed Ronnie for the loss, citing the stress he caused her. Their relationship deteriorated further.

Ronnie’s legal wife, Geraldine, testified that just a week after the airport incident, Ronnie had contacted her, planning to reconcile and return to his family. She told the court Jenny’s actions prevented that reunion.

Forensic evidence showed no foreign DNA in the house, only Ronnie’s and Jenny’s, strengthening the prosecution’s claim that she was the only other person present.

They argued it was highly improbable Ronnie would take his own life while actively trying to reconcile with his wife. The prosecution highlighted Jenny’s constantly changing stories as evidence of her guilt.

Jenny’s defense countered, stating she couldn’t remember the actual events of that morning due to “substantial impairment.” They argued she suffered from a severe mental health condition, causing an abnormality in her brain.

They claimed the miscarriage, Ronnie’s refusal to divorce his wife, and his long-term infidelity exacerbated her condition, leading to memory loss surrounding the incident.

However, when pressed for evidence, the psychological report submitted diagnosed her with Borderline Personality Disorder, a condition experts testified does not typically cause the kind of substantial impairment or memory blackouts her defense claimed.

Ultimately, the trial concluded when Jenny accepted a plea deal. In exchange for pleading guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter (implying she caused his passing but without intent), the initial, more severe charge was dropped.

An online petition circulated supporting Jenny, signed by over 70 people who believed she was a good person. Her sentencing was scheduled for the following month.