The serenity of Trento, Agusan del Sur, was violently broken on February 2, 2024, when an American tourist—a respected figure from Boston—was fatally wounded during what was supposed to be a romantic anniversary trip.

Ralph Menard (56), a retired Certified Public Accountant (CPA) from Minnesota, was fatally wounded by a projectile in the parking lot of the Hillsview Inn and Inland Resort, just moments after arriving with his wife, Jade Suarez Tornea.

The Unassuming Success Story

Ralph Menard was the quiet embodiment of the American dream. Raised in Bemidji, Minnesota, he built a meticulous career as a CPA, traveling extensively and planning to explore the South Side of the US in his retirement.

His well-ordered world changed forever in 2021 when he met Jade Suarez Tornea, a woman from the small town of Trento, Agusan del Sur, online during the pandemic.

Despite the significant age difference, the two shared a bond. They vacationed together in Thailand, and Ralph, convinced of their connection, sponsored Jade for a K-1 fiancée visa.

After enduring the long wait of the visa process, the couple married in Boston, Massachusetts, in December 2023. Jade was warmly welcomed by Ralph’s family, who noted her kindness and independent spirit.

Jade quickly adjusted to her new life, earning her Green Card and finding work as a cook in a Filipino restaurant in Boston. She used her earnings and Ralph’s support to build a small pig farm business for her family back in Agusan, never forgetting her humble roots.

The couple returned to the Philippines in early 2024 to celebrate their first wedding anniversary with Jade’s family in Agusan—a trip that would tragically be Ralph’s last.

The Ambush at the Resort

On the night of February 2, the couple arrived at the Hillsview resort. They had withdrawn $1,000 USD (PHP 50,000), intending to use the cash to buy supplies for Jade’s planned fish farm—a small, but important investment in their shared future.

As Ralph retrieved items from the car, an event unfolded in seconds. According to Jade’s testimony, a masked gunman suddenly appeared, offering a chilling “Good evening, sir” before firing his weapon.

Ralph was fatally wounded by the projectile near his liver. Jade, claiming she immediately ducked and closed her eyes in terror, felt the assailant snatch her bag before fleeing on a motorcycle.

Ralph was rushed to the hospital, but tragically succumbed to his injuries.

The Shadow of Suspicion

The unlawful taking of Ralph’s life immediately ignited explosive controversy, fueled by cross-cultural prejudices and public suspicion.

American expats quickly used the tragedy to issue warnings, labeling Mindanao “not a paradise” and citing US travel advisories—a reaction that Jade later criticized as slanderous and insensitive.

More devastatingly, netizens and local Filipinos began to focus intensely on Jade and her family. They cited the lack of visible emotion in her interviews and the non-functional resort CCTV—which the resort owner admitted was merely a “decoration”—as signs of complicity.

The public heavily speculated that Jade, seeing the opportunity provided by Ralph’s large life insurance policy, had orchestrated the ambush. The working theory was clear: she married him for the money and planned the assault to take his fortune.

The Investigation and the Legal Fight

The Trento police were initially hampered by the non-functional CCTV at the resort, which prevented them from identifying the gunman.

The police officially pursued the robbery angle, citing the withdrawn $1,000 USD intended for the fish farm. However, the intensity of the public’s focus on the insurance money motive pressured the authorities to investigate Jade and her family thoroughly.

Jade was forced to publicly defend herself, addressing the massive online slander. She vowed to sue the commentators, asserting her innocence and expressing profound grief over losing the man she married.

The tragic reality is that regardless of the investigation’s final outcome, Jade has been subjected to a brutal public trial. Ralph’s family in Boston, while initially sympathetic, has been swayed by the intense public speculation.

Jade, upon arriving in Boston with Ralph’s ashes, was forced to defend her integrity to his family. She asserted that the opinion of the public was meaningless compared to the belief of those who truly knew them.

The tragic case remains unresolved, highlighting the brutal consequences of financial ambition and the profound damage caused by online slander in the wake of a tragic unlawful taking of life.