Woman Found Dead Inside Refrigerator After Landlord Smells Foul Odour, Partner Named Person of Interest

A woman was found dead inside a refrigerator at a rented apartment in Barangay San Jose, Rodriguez, Rizal, in the Philippines on Sept. 16 after the property owner reported a foul odour, police said. Investigators have named the woman's live-in partner as a person of interest and were still searching for him as the investigation continued.

The woman's name has not been publicly released. Police said her father came forward after seeing her photograph on social media and presented identification documents. Authorities were also arranging DNA testing as part of the process of formally confirming her identity.

Police have not announced a final determination of responsibility or motive in the woman's death.

Woman Found Dead in Refrigerator After Landlord Reports Odour

Police said the woman and her partner began renting the apartment on Sept. 9. The landlord told investigators that she last spoke with the woman that day and later made repeated attempts to contact her about signing the lease agreement.

Neighbours told police they saw the woman alive on the morning of Sept. 10 when she accepted a delivery. The landlord was unable to reach the occupants in the days that followed.

On Sept. 16, the property owner returned to the apartment and noticed a strong odour coming from the unit. Authorities were contacted, and responding officers found the woman's body inside a refrigerator.

Police said marks were found on the woman's neck and a rope was recovered from the scene. Investigators said the initial evidence indicated possible strangulation, although authorities had not publicly announced a final forensic determination of the cause of death in the reports reviewed.

Investigators have also said they are examining whether the refrigerator was used in an attempt to slow decomposition. That remains a police theory, and authorities have not publicly established who placed the body inside the appliance.

Police estimated that the woman had been dead for several days before her body was discovered. Investigators continued working to establish the sequence of events surrounding her death and the movements of people associated with the apartment.

Partner Remains Person of Interest as Police Examine Possible Motive

Philippine National Police spokesperson Col. Allen Rae Co said investigators had identified the woman's live-in partner as a person of interest. Police said a manhunt was under way, and reports published after the discovery said authorities were still searching for him.

Co said the man had an outstanding arrest warrant for serious illegal detention in a separate case. Police also said the woman had faced the same charge and had recently posted bail.

The outstanding warrant was not issued in connection with the woman's death. Authorities said they were examining whether the earlier case had any connection to her death, but no such link had been established publicly.

Police are also considering money as one possible line of inquiry. Co said the woman's father told investigators that his daughter had been carrying a large amount of money. No amount was publicly specified.

Authorities stressed that a financial motive had not been established and remained subject to verification. Police have not publicly presented evidence showing that a dispute over money caused the woman's death.

Investigators initially recovered identification cards from the apartment, but police later said documents found at the scene did not match government records. The woman's father subsequently provided identification documents, while DNA testing was being pursued to support formal confirmation of her identity.

Rodriguez police and the Philippine National Police continued investigating the circumstances surrounding the death. As of the latest reports reviewed, the partner remained a person of interest rather than a person charged over the woman's death, and authorities had not announced a final motive.