We tell a lot of stories here. Stories about slayings and discoveries, of miracles and social injustice. But very rarely do we tell stories about the remarkable, the unexplainable. Things that happen in the world that even years later, defy explanation.
It began as a cold February evening much like many others of its kind. On this night, however, as the chill of the night air moved into the Chicago area, smoke began to rise from an apartment building on N. Pine Avenue…
Smelling Smoke
The neighbors smelled smoke in their apartment complex. At once, both neighbors contacted the janitor who immediately alerted all the other residents and then, once the building was clear, called the fire department. The call of fire engines rang out into the night, heading over to N. Pine to save what they could.
Apartment 15
They fought the fire, but upon realizing where it was coming from, realized that the occupant of the apartment in question may still have been in there. Once the smoke in apartment 15b had cleared, the firefighters went inside to find what they were sure was going to be charred remains. What they found was much worse than they anticipated…
Smoldering and Stabbed
Hidden beneath a still-smoldering mattress was the nude body of a woman. She was badly burnt and it was clear that she had been placed there on purpose. Even more shocking was the butcher knife embedded in the middle of her chest. As far as the firemen were concerned, this was a sexual assault-turned-murder that was covered up by arson.
On The Case
Soon enough, detectives Joseph Stachula and his partner, Lee R. Epplen were assigned to the case. They learned that the woman’s name was Teresita and that she was, by-and-large, a kind, quiet woman who kept to herself. They would have to learn more, however, if they hoped to find out who killed her…
Who Was She?
The body was identified as 47-year-old respiratory therapist Teresita Basa. the subsequent medical examination revealed that she had not been raped, just rendered nude before she was stabbed. It was an unusual murder to be sure, and one that would become even more unusual as time progressed.
Life of Privilege
Teresita’s body was flown back to her hometown, Negros Island in the Philippines, for burial. Born in the Philippines in 1929, Teresita lived a life of privilege. She was the only child of a successful lawyer and was afforded every opportunity to succeed. She graduated from Assumption College in Manila, then emigrated to the US to receive a master’s degree from Indiana University…
Caring Woman
After College, Teresita Settled down in Chicago, Illinois. She became a respiratory therapist at Edgewater Hospital and made a good deal of close friends there. She was dedicated, polite, and devoted to making sure that her patients got the best care she could provide them with. She played piano and was working on her very own book when she died.
Quiet Life
So who would want to kill someone like Teresita Basa? Who would go through so much effort to slay and then try to cover up a quiet, caring, 47-year-old woman? The first clue would come when the detectives went back to her apartment. It was a note, written in Teresita’s handwriting and it read: “Get tickets for A.S.” But who was AS?
The Note
Uncovering who A.S. was would prove to be most difficult. Eventually, with no other needs besides the cryptic note, the case came to a standstill. In August of that year, police in Evanston contacted one of the detectives with information on one Allan Showery, a technician who also worked at Edgewater Hospital.
Peculiar Turn
The police in Evanston told Detective Stachula to contact Dr. Juan Chua, a surgical assistant at Franklin Boulevard Community Hospital. While he was also Filipino, Dr. Chua did not know Teresita Basa personally. Though apparently, that didn’t mean his wife, Remy, couldn’t be possessed by her vengeful spirit…
Possessed
The first thing Dr. Chua explained to the detectives was that neither he nor his wife was crazy. He said that Remy had been going sporadically comatose and while in that state, would speak in the voice of another woman. It happened many times, without incident, until one day the strange voice blurted out that it belonged to Teresita Basa.
Admission
Teresita and Dr. Chua began to speak in Tagalog, the traditional language of the Philippines. She told the doctor that she’d been stabbed to death by a man named Allan Showery, a man she believed to be her friend. She also said that she’d invited him into her home that night and that things had gone wrong…
Call the Police
It was a half hour before Remy Chua snapped out of it and when she did, she had no memory of the things she’d said whilst entranced. The two discussed it and were worried that going to the police might make them both look crazy, which of course it did. When Teresita Basa’s voice came back a few times more though, they knew they had no choice.
Stolen Jewelry
As anticipated, the police were not convinced by the Chua’s claims. As it happened, Mrs. Chua had indeed met Teresita at an orientation session for the hospital they both worked at, though they both worked different shifts. The one thing that made them rethink things, was the fact that Remy/Teresita had mentioned a piece of stolen jewelry formerly in the apartment. This was a new piece of information…
Given Away
Teresita told the detectives that Allan Showery had stolen her jewelry before the fire and had given some of the stolen jewels to his wife. The two detectives decided Showery’s name alone was enough to follow-up with and went to his apartment. Showery did confess that he knew Ms. Basa but said he’d never been to her apartment.
Changing Story
Not long after, Showery changed his story. His new account of the events of that night was that he’d come to her home to fix the TV but that he left immediately after having done so. While at his apartment, the detectives noticed that Showery’s common-law-wife, Yanka Kamluk, was wearing a pearl cocktail ring. A little digging reaffirmed that this was one of the rings left unaccounted for after the fire. It belonged to Teresita Basa…
Confession
Presented with this incontrovertible evidence, Allan Showery had no choice but to confess to the murder of Teresita Basa. He said that he’d gone to her apartment so that he could rob her and that he needed her money to pay his rent. Unfortunately, when it was all said and done, he was disappointed to learn that all she had was $30 in cash and a bunch of old jewelry.
“Voice from the Grave Trial”
The trial, which was unironically dubbed the “Voice from the Grave Trial, soon commenced. On the stand, Allan Showery claimed that he was “just kidding” when he made the confession. It was a circus from there and things only got worse when Showery’s lawyer, William Swano, accused Mrs. Chua of faking the trances…
Mistrial
The thing of it was, Mrs. Chua had been fired from the hospital and it marred her character slightly, just enough for Swano to take advantage of the jury’s already existing bias. He added that no one had ever been arrested because of a vision before and the doubt was enough to cause the judge to declare a mistrial.
Visitation
Showery was in jail, awaiting his new trial when he was apparently visited by the ghost of his victim. He came back to court with a new plea of guilty and was sentenced to 14 years in prison for murder and an additional 4-12 years for arson and armed robbery. But did the ghost of Teresita Basa come back from the grave to see her killer brought to justice, and if not, what really happened?
