IT was a brutal, senseless killing that shocked both Manila residents and members of the Philippine capital's expatriate community.
On July 13, 1991, the son of the late chief justice Claudio Teehankee stopped his car in a wealthy village and fired his gun at almost point blank range at three youths walking home from a late-night outing to a Makati disco.
Ronald Chapman, the son of a US Embassy communications officer, died instantly. A model, Maureen Hultman, 17, lapsed into a coma and died after 97 days in hospital. Jussi Leino, a Finnish youth, was shot in the mouth, but was later able to identify Teehankee.
What followed was a frustrating 15-month trial described as one of the most sensational in years. The killing and the subsequent blundering in a Manila courtroom outraged the nation and drew criticism from foreign governments.
But just before New Year, in what has been hailed by some as a vindication of the Philippine justice system, a Manila judge found Claudio Teehankee Jr guilty of murdering the two youths and sentenced him to serve two life terms in jail. As part of the 30-page decision, he was also ordered to pay a total of 18 million peso (about HK$6 million) to the victims' families and three million peso in legal fees.
''Mr Teehankee's alibi was very, very weak,'' Judge Job Madayag said. ''He said he was asleep in another place at the time of the murder but I did not believe him; that's why I found him guilty.'' Describing the verdict as ''an injustice by publicity'', Teehankee's lawyer said he would appeal the case to the Supreme Court. Teehankee, meanwhile, defiantly told reporters he plans to take up a law course to help him defend himself in future appeals.