A quiet Monday evening in South Seattle suddenly turned tragic with a horrific double murder and suicide incident that occurred in a Pinoy family’s home.
The suspect, Filipino grandfather Honorario Yango, 78, reportedly killed his daughter and granddaughter before turning a gun on himself on the night of Oct. 27, after a confrontation about an alleged act of sexual abuse on Yango’s 11-year-old granddaughter, Anahlia Cowherd.
Seattle police also identified 39-year-old Christine Dela Isla, the daughter of Yango and mother of Anahlia. According to court records, Dela Isla had moved five years ago into her parents’ home with her son and daughter in South Seattle, escaping a physically abusive relationship with the father of her children. Not long after the family’s arrival, Yango allegedly began molesting Anahlia, according to a blog the young girl posted online on Wattpad, a digital storytelling site.
“So, this touching thing has been going on for a long time,” Anahlia wrote on Wattpad. “This is the time when my grandma finds out. He says sorry but I don’t forgive him.”
She also wrote that the sexual abuse had been going on for nearly five years.
When Dela Isla discovered the abuse, she confronted her father, whom detectives believe fatally shot her and her daughter before taking his own life. Yango also reportedly tried to kill his 10-year-old grandson also present at the scene, but the boy managed to escape and call the police. The boy is now safe and staying with relatives.
According to the King County Medical Examiner’s Office, Dela Isla died from gunshot wounds to the head. Anahlia also died from multiple gunshot wounds. She was a fifth-grader at Aki Kurose Middle School in Seattle.
Hours before her murder on Oct. 27, Anahlia wrote a post on Wattpad entitled “Help…Me,” declaring that her grandfather was threatening to kill her.
“He threatened me…He actually threatened to KILL my family. Right now I’m in my mom’s room, the door locked, my dog close, my brother here, my Grandpa somewhere, my Grandma is not home. My mom is coming…I’m so scared,” she wrote.
The post was discovered by Anahlia’s father, Terrell Cowherd, who lives in New Orleans. Cowherd confirmed the blog as his daughter’s.
“When I Googled my daughter’s name, the blog popped up,” Cowherd told Seattle’s KIRO 7 News. “The only conclusion I can come to is that she must have actually got to the point where she was about to call police, and I guess that was his way of preventing her from doing so.”
Cowherd was never charged with domestic violence, but was prohibited from seeing his children through a domestic-violence-protection order filed by Dela Isla. He claims he had not seen his children for six years.
Previous posts found on the site revealed that Yango had been molesting Anahlia since the third grade. He did not appear to have a criminal history.
Police spokesman Sgt. Sean Whitcomb confirmed that detectives are investigating sexual abuse as a possible motive for the shootings.
“In speaking with the case detectives, we are looking at a possible motive that is related to sexual abuse of the 11-year-old victim by the shooter,” Whitcomb said.
“We’re definitely heartbroken for the family,” said Sheila Burrus, the executive director of the Filipino Community of Seattle, which has operated a community center in nearby Rainier Valley for nearly 40 years. “We’re disgusted and feel so bad for that little girl.”
Burrus said that Yango and his wife had participated in many events and programs at the Filipino Community Center. Those who knew him said they never saw him exhibit signs of a hot temper or being prone to violence. They also said they never knew about Yango’s daughter or younger family members.
Burrus mentioned that the Filipino center has an on-site counselor and offers referrals and services to victims of sexual abuse and domestic violence.
“It’s still a taboo subject when you talk about the nuance of the Filipino community,” she said. “It’s definitely not something people talk about. People are ashamed, especially when it happens in your own family.”
The Filipino population in Seattle is well into the thousands, and is reportedly one of the largest Asian-American populations in Washington State.
Aki Kurose Middle School principal Mia Williams wrote a letter to the community on Oct. 28, acknowledging the tragedy and reminding parents and students that school counselors and mental health support would be available to help grieving students and families.
Anahlia was a top student in her class. She wrote in her blog earlier this year: “I’m Anahlia Chandris Cowherd, 11 years old, in 5th grade, and I’m gonna bring justice to all girls who have been touched.”
(With reports from InterAksyon.com, Inquirer, New York Daily News, KIRO 7, and The Seattle Times.)
