American Peace Corps Volunteer Found Dead in Philippines
Campbell was last seen April 8 in Ifuago, a province located about 160 miles north of Manila. She had reportedly planned to hike in a hilly area near the village of Batad to view some of the area's famed mountainside rice terraces. After a ten-day search, soldiers found the body near the village. Ifuago provincial police chief Senior Superintendent Pedro Ganir told the Associated Press had dug out one foot when the soldiers found the body, which had been placed in a creek and covered with dirt.
Regional police commander, Chief Superintendent Raul Gonzales told the AP that the police are now treating this as a "crime incident," and that they have launched an investigation into Campbell's death.
Julia Campbell, a native of Fairfax, Virginia, was one of 137 Peace Corps volunteers currently in the Philippines. She had joined the Peace Corps in 2005 as a volunteer to the Philippines. Campbell had been teaching English at Divine Word College in Legazpi City since October 2006, and was planning to return to the United States later this year for graduate studies.
Published by R.E. Norton
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16 Comments
Post a CommentHow sad for this woman's loved ones. I was in the Philippines in 2000 when a rash of kidnappings started. Thankfully, we didn't have any problems.
too sad!
She seems like someone to aspire to be like. Sad.
So sad. Ten years ago, I was a Peace Corps Volunteer myself. Although I generally felt safe in my country, this tragedy goes to show that bad things can happen anywhere at any time. I hope she's resting in peace now.
Great coverage. Even volunteering has its risks. But the Peace Corp HAS made a difference in many lives. Hopefully this incident/accident will be resolved and the Peace Corp can keep moving forward.
This is a very sad story. I hope they find whoever is responsible for this and give them her the justice she and her family deserve. Great article!
Yes this is sad. I saw on a Filipino channel that the family who "adopted" her are feeling extremely sad about this. She lived with them, was learning the language and the culture. She was becoming like part of the family.
A "crime incident" -- ya think? Anyway, my cousin teaches English in Taiwan, and has trekked all over the world -- never alone, and passing herself recently as a Canadian citizen. This crime, though, could just as easily happened to a lone hiker in America (including one area in Oahu here that is well-known for people disappearing -- though it never hits the news somehow). Something everyone should remember when they venture into lonely spots alone.
Oh my goodness! This was great to report. Ever since I was seven years old I wanted to join the peace corp (but an early pregnancy put those plans on hold)and it never dawned on me until much later how dangerous these missions potentially are. On the positive, at least she got the opportunity to do something she was passionate about on this earth while she was here. So many of us don't.
Saw this story on MSNBC at http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18164042/
My father worked in the Phillipines. Very tragic.