Teresita Basa's Chilling Murder Story

Teresita Basa, a respiratory therapist at Edgewater Hospital on Chicago's North Side in the 1970s, came from the Philippines and was a descendant of the aristocracy. Basa traveled the world and trained as a musician. She moved to the United States in the 1960s to get her master's degree in music.

Coworkers called Basa quiet and unassuming. Still, she maintained an active social life and many friends.

On the evening of February 21, 1977, residents on the 15th floor of 2740 North Pine Grove Avenue experienced the event.Residents reported smelling smoke.The building manager called the fire department. The smell led investigators to apartment 15B, Teresita Basa's home.

The building manager used a master key to let firefighters into the scene, which soon became a crime scene.

Firefighters entered apartment 15B. They found smoldering clothes on a mattress. After putting out the fire, they found the 48-year-old Teresita Basa beneath the mattress.

Basa was naked and had burn marks on her body. The fire did not kill her; stab wounds from a kitchen knife caused her death.The knife remained stuck in her chest.The kitchen knife was still sticking out of her chest.

Firefighters saw the apartment looked 'ransacked.' Authorities first thought Basa's murder was a burglary gone wrong. Further checks showed nothing was missing, adding to the mystery of Basa's death.

Police tracked Teresita Basa's final hours. They learned little. Phone records show Basa spoke with a friend at 7:10 pm. Basa called another friend at 7:30 pm. That second call ended near 7:50 pm. The fire was reported less than an hour after.

Regarding physical evidence...Police found a note in Basa's journal. The note read, “Get tickets for A.S.,” but no one knew who “A.S.” was.Police found little physical evidence. They did flag a note in Basa's journal. The note read, “Get tickets for A.S.,” but no one knew who “A.S.” was.

Basa's friend, Ruth Loeb, told investigators Basa mentioned a friend was coming over to fix her television the night she was murdered. Loeb did not give a name or any other identifying details.

Investigators figured Basa's killer set the fire to destroy evidence.Investigators determined Basa's killer set fire to her apartment to destroy evidence.They saw Basa's body positioned like a sexual assault. Autopsy results showed no signs of this. This meant the entire scene was staged within one hour.

Police and firefighters figured the killer left Basa's apartment about ten minutes before the building manager called the fire department.

Police interviewed several suspects, including Basa's boyfriend, but their leads repeatedly died out.

By August 1977, investigators had few leads on Teresita Basa's murder, and the case stalled. Then, Detective Joe Stachula got a call from the Evanston, IL, police department about a couple with info on Basa's murder.

The couple, Jose and Remebios “Remy” Chua, claimed Remy enteredThe experience involved trance-like states.Remy spoke as if she was Teresita Basa. Jose was a doctor; Remy was a respiratory therapist who worked briefly with Basa at Edgewater Hospital.

Detective Stachula did not know what to think of the couple's claims, but he was open to investigating them.

Dr. Jose Chua awoke one night hearing his wife speak in Tagalog, the Philippine language both Remy and Basa spoke. The voice did not sound like Remy. She was not fully awake; she was in a trance or dream state.

Chua later testified.that voice said, “Doctor, I would like to ask for your help. The man who murdered me is still at large.” Dr. Chua said, “I was shocked and scared when I asked her name and she answered, 'Ako 'y (I am) Teresita Basa.' She told me I had nothing to fear. She begged me to help solve her murder.”

Dr. Chua also testified that Basa spoke through Remy three times, each time for about 30 minutes.

Remy Chua told investigators she could not recall anything said during her trances, except the name “Al.” Dr. Chua claimed Basa, speaking through Remy, told him a man namedAllan Showery stabbed herin the chest with a knife, set fire to her apartment, and stole some of her jewelry.

Investigators found Allan Showery worked as an orderly at Edgewater Hospital and had worked with both Teresita Basa and Remy Chua. When Detective Stachula and partner Detective Lee Epplen went to Showery's apartment, Showery agreed to go to the station with them for questioning without issue.

During questioning, Showery claimed he was supposed to visit Basa's apartment the night she died to fix her television. However, Showery claimed Basa canceled at the last minute, and he stayed home to fix an electrical problem.

While speaking through Remy, Basa told Dr. Chua that ShoweryThe voice told Chua’s husband showery stole valuable jewelry.The jewelry came from France; it was a gift from Basa's father to her mother.

Basa's spirit reportedly said Showery gave some jewelry to his girlfriend. Basa's spirit, speaking through Remy, named friends and family who could identify the jewelry: Ron Somera, Ken Basa, Richard Ressotti, and Rey Kings. Dr. Chua claimed he got the phone numbers to contact these people.

This jewelry theft information offers strong proof Teresita Basa might have solved her own murder.

Detectives Stachula and Epplen investigated Allan Showery's possible role in Basa's murder. They spoke with Showery's girlfriend, Yanka Kamulk.

Because the Chuas claimed Showery stole Basa's valuables, they asked Kamulk if Showery gave her jewelry recently. Kamulk stated Showery gave her the pearl ring and jade pendant in February 1977.Showery received a pearl ring and a jade pendant.Kamulk wore these items during the interview as gifts for Christmas.

Detectives asked Kamulk if she knew Showery offered to fix Basa's TV or needed electrical work at their apartment. Kamulk told Stachula and Epplen Showery knew nothing about electronics or electrical repairs.

Authorities showed Showery all the evidence against him. He then admitted to murdering Teresita Basa.Showery admitted to murdering Teresita Basa.Showery claimed he offered to fix Basa's TV but planned to rob her. He stated Basa had given him money for odd jobs before.

Showery thought Basa had a lot of money in her apartment; this proved false. Showery stabbed Basa and then staged her body as a sexual assault.

Showery signed a written confession. He later claimed this confession happened under pressure during Basa's murder trial in January 1979.

Showery's trial started January 21, 1979, one month before Basa's murder anniversary. The jury had eight men and four women and became known as the “Voice from the Grave” trial. Both sides called witnesses, and in an unusual move, Showery's own defense team brought in the Chuas as witnesses.Showery's own defense team handled the case.They brought in the Chuas as witnesses.

The trial lasted five days but ended in a mistrial because the jury split. Showery made another full confession before a second trial; he received a 14-year sentence but served less than five years and was released in 1983.

The question remains: did Teresita Basa's ghost speak through Remy Chua? Some people wonder if Chua was actually seeking revenge against Showery, whom she worked with at Edgewater Hospital.He actually sought revenge.against Showery, whom she worked with at Edgewater Hospital.

Showery complained to hospital management about Chua's work quality. Chua allegedly told a friend Showery scared her. Chua's first visit from Basa happened the same day Chua was fired from the hospital.

Chua's intentions did not matter. Her story still helped solve Teresita Basa's senseless murder.