The life of a seafarer is often marked by long periods of isolation, far from family and the comforts of home. For Filipino seaman Michael Monegro, this isolation, compounded by the strict COVID-19 lockdowns of 2020, appeared to contribute to a descent into paranoia that ended in a horrific act of violence aboard the cargo ship MSC Ravenna.

Michael, born in Iloilo in 1978, came from humble beginnings. His father passed away when he was an infant, and his mother struggled to support the family by harvesting rice.

Determined to escape poverty, Michael worked tirelessly to fund his education at a maritime college. After gaining experience on local ships, he became an Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW), sending vital remittances back home.

He married Donalyn Raha, an accountant, and they had a son. Michael worked his way up from a ship’s cook to a merchant marine, specializing in welding on large container ships. Life at sea was challenging, but it provided for his family. Colleagues described him as cheerful, friendly, and respected.

In January 2020, Michael boarded the MSC Ravenna, joining a crew composed largely of fellow Filipinos. However, the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic dramatically altered life onboard. From April until the tragic incident in September, stringent protocols prohibited crew members from disembarking during port calls to prevent the virus from spreading. This prolonged confinement took a heavy toll.

According to colleagues, Michael, usually sociable, became increasingly withdrawn. He stopped sharing details about his family, offering only curt “okay lang” (just okay) responses. Weeks before the incident, his behavior grew more erratic. He isolated himself, neglected personal hygiene, and reportedly paced the ship aimlessly instead of working.

Unbeknownst to his crewmates, Michael was becoming consumed by a dangerous delusion. He developed an intense paranoia centered on his direct supervisor, Manolito Santillan, also a Filipino.

Santillan, 50, held the position of Able-Bodied Seaman and was described as kind, quiet, and competent. Michael became convinced that Santillan was spying on him, inspecting his cabin, listening to his calls, reading his texts, and even hacking his Facebook account.

The most destructive aspect of this delusion was Michael’s unfounded belief that Santillan was using this access to communicate with and seduce his wife, Donalyn, back in the Philippines. He imagined Santillan was turning Donalyn against him, even falsely telling her Michael was gay.

The jealousy festered, twisting Santillan into a perceived threat to his marriage and family. Michael also developed a fear that Santillan, whom he imagined had military and police connections, would have him harmed upon his return to the Philippines.

Donalyn later confirmed that Michael’s calls home had become fraught with arguments, filled with accusations about the non-existent affair. She repeatedly denied his claims, stating she didn’t even know his colleagues, but Michael remained unconvinced. Investigators found no evidence whatsoever to support Michael’s suspicions.

On September 20, 2020, the MSC Ravenna was approximately 80 nautical miles off the coast of Los Angeles. Around 8:00 a.m., the crew gathered in the locker room for their routine pre-work meeting, awaiting Santillan, who was meeting with the ship’s captain. As Santillan walked down the hallway towards them, Michael suddenly lunged, attacking him with a knife.

Santillan fell to the floor. Michael pinned him down, placing a knee on his supervisor’s knee, and began stabbing him repeatedly in the torso. Witnesses described a horrifying scene. At one point, Michael paused, pulled a second knife from Santillan’s own coveralls, and continued the frenzied attack with both hands.

During the assault, Santillan reportedly asked, “What are you doing?” Michael screamed back, “You destroyed my family!” Santillan denied knowing what he was talking about. His final words, according to witnesses, were, “May the Lord forgive you, Michael.”

Crew members, terrified by Michael’s dual-wielding attack, attempted to intervene by throwing trash cans at his head, but he was unrelenting. He only stopped when exhaustion seemingly overtook him. The ship’s captain was the only one who dared approach the armed man, eventually persuading him to move away from the body.

Manolito Santillan was declared de@d at 8:34 a.m. Due to the ship’s distance from port, his body was respectfully placed in the walk-in fish refrigerator.

The captain immediately contacted authorities in Los Angeles and implemented strict security measures, confining Michael to his cabin using plastic zip ties (as they lacked handcuffs) and increasing patrols, treating the situation akin to navigating pirate-infested waters.

The remaining two-day journey to Los Angeles was fraught with tension and fear among the traumatized crew.

Upon docking, FBI agents took custody of Michael Monegro. An autopsy revealed Manolito Santillan had suffered 31 stab wounds. Michael was charged with murder within the special maritime jurisdiction of the United States. During legal proceedings in November 2022, the defense argued Michael was not criminally responsible due to insanity, presenting evidence of his deteriorating mental state.

Dr. Phillips, a prosecution expert, diagnosed Michael with delusional disorder based on months of interviews. The diagnosis detailed a psychotic break likely triggered by a confluence of stressors: chronic back pain from a previous injury, the de@th of his mother-in-law (forcing his wife to quit her job, making him the sole provider), pandemic-related confinement, financial pressure from their mortgage, and the stress of wanting to quit seafaring to start a business.

Ultimately, Michael accepted a plea agreement. While the prosecution initially sought a second-degree murder conviction, and the defense argued for a five-year sentence due to diminished capacity, the judge imposed a sentence of 20 years in federal prison.

The judge acknowledged Michael’s mental illness but emphasized the danger he posed and the devastating impact on Santillan’s family, stating that five years would neither constitute justice nor adequately protect the public. Upon completion of his sentence, Michael Monegro will be deported back to the Philippines.