CAGAYAN DE ORO City — Nightly vision of a missing severed head of his brother-in-law he hacked to death and buried secretly forced a 19-year-old suspect to surrender and led authorities in exhumation of the headless body in a river side of Barangay Malagana, Claveria, Misamis Oriental Monday.

Police Captain Rodel Labadan, Claveria police station head identified in a radio interview the murder suspect Joven Jumayon and the victim as Junli Andohan, 36 years old and resident of Barangay Malagana.

He said the suspect showed up at the police station and confessed killing and beheading the victim during a drinking spree near the Cabulig river in the said barangay early this month.

“The suspect has been harboring ill feeling against the victim who allegedly abused his wife and children when under influence of liquor,” Labadan said.

He said the suspect confessed hacking and beheading the victim during a heated argument last 5 July during a drinking spree near the Cabulig river.

After killing and beheading the victim, the suspect dragged the headless body across the river while also holding the head while crossing the river. However, the head that fell into the river was carried downstream. 

The suspect then buried the headless body in the river side.

The family of the victim reported to the police that the victim was missing and was last seen alive with the suspect.

The suspect led policemen to the burial site and exhumed the headless body which was already in the early stage of decomposition.

The suspect confessed that he surrendered after a nightly vision of the missing head haunted him every night.

“He (the suspect) could no longer bear the nightmares so he decided to surrender,” Labadan said.

The suspect who is now detained at the police lock up facility will be charged with murder.