Woman's body found in burnt house

The house on Purcell Street in Vistabella where the body of a woman was found this morning.
The house on Purcell Street in Vistabella where the body of a woman was found this morning.

UPDATED:

STACY MOORE

Two days after police seized a stash of guns and ammunition from a house, the skeletal remains of a woman were found in the house at Purcell Street, Mt Moriah Road, San Fernando.

The remains of 32-year-old Lana John, a casino worker, was found in the bathroom of her burnt-out house early yesterday morning. Investigators believe she may have been shot before her house was set on fire. Police said neighbours reported hearing gunshots coming from inside the house shortly before the fire started at the front of the house at about 2 am.

Newsday was told John had been renting the apartment for the past five years and would usually finish work in the wee hours of the morning.

One resident told Newsday John was killed minutes after she entered her home.

“There is a lot more to this story,” the resident said.

“This is the same house police searched and found guns and ammunition and then two days later, the house is burnt to the ground and a woman killed. Very suspicious if you ask me.” He said John lived alone and, on occasion, she would be visited by a man. He described her as friendly. “She would say ‘good morning’ and ‘evening’ if she saw you on the road like any neighbour would do. It is so sad what happened to her.” Crime scene investigators went to the scene and John’s charred remains were taken to the Forensic Science Centre.

On Wednesday morning police found six guns, including an Uzi, and 500 rounds of assorted ammunition, eight magazines and a silencer as well as 12.5 kilogrammes of marijuana at the house. No one was arrested. The discovery was made by members of the Organised Crime Intelligence Unit and the Inter-Agency Task Force.

Police from the Homicide Region Three are investigating John’s killing.

ORIGINAL STORY:

A house in Vistabella where a large cache of arms and ammunition was found on Wednesday, became a murder scene this morning after firemen came across the bullet-riddled body of a woman in the house which was set on fire.

Police believe the fire was started by the woman's killer in an attempt to hide the crime. Firemen who doused the flames, found the body and contacted the police. The body has since been taken to the Forensic Science Centre in St James for autopsy. Her identity up to press time, was unknown.

Stay with Newsday for more updates.

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