Another elderly woman killed at home

Another elderly woman has been killed in her home, this time in Chaguanas yesterday.

The latest victim is Ramdevi Singh, 76, a mother of two and grandmother of three of Imamshah Street, Chaguanas.

Singh’s husband, Martin, 79, a stroke patient, found her nude body face down on the ground of the living room with injuries to the head at about 9 am yesterday. She was in a pool of blood and had a piece of cloth around her throat.

This happened just two days after former director of the National Museum and Art Gallery, Dr Claire Broadbridge, 80, was killed at her home at Fondes Amandes Road, St Ann’s. It is believed her throat was slit.

In the case of Singh, police said there were so many injuries to the head it was difficult to say whether her killer/s slit her throat or bludgeoned her. An autopsy scheduled for today at the Forensic Sciences Centre, St James, will determine the cause of death.

Singh, a retiree with Guardian Life Insurance, lived with her husband who she took care of since he cannot speak or walk properly having suffered two strokes. After the discovery yesterday, Martin fell ill and up to last evening, he was receiving medical care at the Chaguanas Health Centre. Their two adult children and grandchildren live abroad.

Police said shortly after 9 am, Martin managed to walk to the front gate of the home and alerted two passers-by about the discovery. There were no signs of forced entry and the house was not ransacked, police said.

One man, who requested anonymity, said at about 3 am yesterday residents heard a woman screaming but made nothing of it.

It was only hours after news of the killing broke, they made the connection that it might have been Singh.

Her brother Sen Vishnu said he received a telephone call at about 9.30 am yesterday informing him that “something was happening” at his sister’s home.

When he arrived, he saw police on the scene and was told she was killed.

“My sister was a former customer service representative at Guardian Life, so based on that alone she had good people skills,” Vishnu said. “That continued even after she retired. She was very friendly.”

As to where exactly in the house her husband was at the time of her killing, relatives are yet to know.

“He struggles to walk and someone has to hold his hands when he does. He used to be a businessman. This is very distressing right now.”

Up to late yesterday, police including Sgt John, Cpls Radhaykisson and Ramoutar of Homicide Bureau (Region III) and Chaguanas CID were searching for evidence.

On May 26, pharmacist and businesswoman Rahzia Pamela Sieuchand, 65, was found stabbed to death in a bedroom at her home at Lange Park, Chaguanas.

The house was ransacked. Sieuchand, who owned and operated a pharmacy at St Helena in Piarco, was a mother and grandmother and lived alone in the house. No arrest has been made.

Comments

"Another elderly woman killed at home"

More in this section