Body of Slain Missionary Flown to U.S. Embassy in Manila

The remains of a slain United States citizen and Presbyterian missionary to the Philippines was flown Thursday afternoon aboard a commercial flight to Manila for custody at the U.S. Embassy there, a news agency reported Saturday.

Kyong Cha Pokrzywinski, a 50-year-old missionary of Korean descent, had moved to the province of Negros Oriental in the late 1990's to help propagate her faith by helping the poor and building churches in the village of Valencia and Dauin, according to the local Sun Star news agency. On Dec. 3, Pokrzywinski was reportedly slain in her house beside Atlantis Beach Resort in Barangay Lipayo, Dauin just after sundown.

Catherine Graham, Consular Associate of the American Citizen Services of the US Embassy, officiated the transport of the body after a brief visit Wednesday and Thursday to assess and inventory the properties and documents of the slain woman in Negros Oriental. The items were later shipped to the US Consulate in Cebu City.

Also on Thursday, the U.S. Embassy released a statement on the death of the U.S.-Korean missionary to the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) in Negros Oriental, saying it looked "forward to the results of a vigorous inquiry".

Former President Fidel Ramos has reportedly endorsed his support to the investigation to identify and prosecute the person or persons linked to the killing of the woman.

Pokrzywinski is survived by her husband—a retired U.S. military officer of Polish descent from Michigan.