Kulot was found in the creek less than a day after death — PAO forensic expert

Fourteen-year-old Reynaldo "Kulot" De Guzman had only been dead for 24 hours or less before he was found floating in a creek in Gapan, according to the autopsy conducted by the Public Attorney's Office (PAO).

"Ang estimation po namin for the time of death is between 12 and 24 hours from the time po na nakita siya," said Dr. Erwin Erfe, the forensic laboratory director of the Public Attorney's Office (PAO) in the report of GMA News' Chino Gaston on "State of the Nation with Jessica Soho" on Thursday.

Erfe also found indications that the minor's body was dumped in the water just a few hours after his death.

"Time underwater. Ito po 'yung estimated time namin na nakalubog siya sa tubig...eight to 12 hours," he added.

De Guzman, also known as "Kulot," was last seen in Cainta, Rizal on August 18 or 16 days before his body was found in Kabayo Creek in Barangay San Roque in Gapan, Nueva Ecija with his entire head wrapped in tape.

The autopsy conducted by PAO's forensic experts found 28 puncture wounds on De Guzman's body, 20 of which were inflicted after he was already dead.

The expert said Kulot appeared to have been stabbed 26 times. Two of these stab wounds went through his body and therefore caused two exit wounds.

The PAO said autopsy results also suggested that De Guzman may have died from the two or three initial stab wounds on the side of his chest.

A single assailant was identified due to all wounds coming from one direction.

Based on the autopsy, Kulot was also badly beaten up as both his eyes, nose, upper and lower lips were swollen.

Erfe said their findings showed a clear intent to kill.

On Wednesday evening, the National Bureau of Investigations (NBI) and the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) conducted separate autopsies.

Kulot was last seen in the company of 19-year-old Carl Angelo Arnaiz, who went missing for ten days. The parents of Arnaiz found him in a morgue on August 28.

Arnaiz was killed by policemen in Caloocan City in an alleged attempt to resist arrest in the at 3:30 a.m. on August 18, the day Kulot likewise went missing.

Arnaiz supposedly hailed a cab in Navotas and robbed its driver a few hours after his friends saw him with Kulot. — Margaret Claire Layug/BAP, GMA News