Nearly 2 years after murder: no burial, no arrests

IT has been almost two years since the burnt body of a woman was found in the fields of Caroni.

On the right hand, there was a gold ring. There were pieces of burnt leopardprint material on the skeletal remains.

Relatives confirmed that the ring belonged to missing mother of four Ingrid Somai, 45, who was last seen wearing leopardprint clothes when she disappeared, on May 9, 2018.

Samples were taken from two of Somai’s children for DNA testing. The family said to date they have not received the results and hence, they have not had any closure. Nor has her killer been found. Her children, now four, eight, nine and 11, continue to cry, saying, "I miss my mummy."

Somai’s mother-in-law Merle Ramlogan told Newsday today it was heartbreaking to know a mother was taken away from her children in such cruel circumstances.

“Every day we have to live with this unbearable pain, knowing that the person who took a mother’s life and left the hearts of her four children in pieces is going about his life as normal.

"And without the results from the DNA testing, we cannot get her remains to even give her a proper burial.”

Ramlogan, who takes care of the children along with their father, said no child should have to live through this nightmare.

“We have so many unanswered questions. Why was she killed, and by who? And none of these questions have been answered.

"And now we can’t even get closure. Her children cannot say goodbye to their mother.

"It is really unfair and her children are the ones who are affected the most.”

Ramlogan said their birthdays have gone by and the children have had to spend them without their mother.

“Her youngest daughter, who was three years at the time her mother disappeare,d is now four years and she still believes her mother went to get snacks for her and will return home. She tells me every day, ‘Mummy gone for snacky, when she coming back?’"

Ramlogan said she does not know how to tell her grandaughter her mother is not coming back. She said the other children are also still very young and believe someday their mother will return.

The grandmother said she struggles to live with the pain of her daughter-in-law’s unsolved murder.

"We are certain that was her ring, and also the clothes she wore the last day were leopardprint pants.

"We have no idea what happened to her when she went into that car. But we know she was killed and they burnt her and dumped her body in Caroni.

"She did not deserve this, she was a great mother."

Ramlogan said all the family is asking for now is the results from the DNA, and justice.

On May 9, 2018, Somai left the San Fernando General Hospital after visiting her sister, who was a patient there. Ramlogan said she bought a box of KFC for her sister and left the hospital to head to her Oropouche home.

Somai was reportedly seen getting into a car in front of the hospital. After that, she disappeared. Calls to her phone have since been unanswered.

The burnt remains were found on May 16 last year. No arrests have been made and San Fernando CID is investigating.