Fatal hammer blows for Tobago mom

KINNESHA GEORGE-HARRY

Tobago reeled in shock as news spread that yesterday morning, a pre-school teacher was bludgeoned to death by a male relative, using a hammer, in front of her two children aged 5 and 7. Up to press time, a manhunt was ongoing for the suspect in Tobago’s second murder for this year.

Describing this as a crime of passion, police sources said that in a fit of rage, the man attacked 24-year-old Kayla Marie Cain-Solomon at the home of her teaching colleague in Lowlands. Cain-Solomon, who got married three years ago, was struck on the head and chest and died on the spot. The incident is said to have occurred at 8.20 am at a house next door to the Dorothy Moses Nursery School, in full view of the victim’s two daughters.

A villager reported hearing a woman’s screams and then saw a man running off. The head of the police Tobago Division, Snr Supt Joanne Archie, visited and spoke to reporters. She said police received a call about a domestic disturbance in the area.

“This morning, Tobago police responded to a report of a dispute, firstly at Nursery School Street in Lambeau, and on arrival, police officers spotted the body of a woman at the foot of the stairway of a house. We were told that a man was seen running away from the scene. We are still trying to determine the identity of that person,” Archie said.

She added that her information is that Cain-Solomon was from Lowlands, and stayed at the home of a friend at Nursery School Street, where the incident occurred. “We have not had any further information from any relative. The information we have received so far is from the friend at whose home the victim was staying at and persons who would have seen a man leaving the yard. We are still conducting investigations to determine really what would have been the cause of the dispute,” she said.

A member of the board of the nursery school, Jerry Ali, described the murder as “absolutely shocking and heartbreaking” as he confirmed Cain-Solomon had taught at the school for over five years. “This is just sad,” he said. “Based on reports, the incident occurred not in front of the school but at a building next to the school, and a few children were around a the time.

“The school will remain closed on Monday and Tuesday and we will resume on Wednesday following a PTA meeting with parents at 4 pm on Tuesday. “The response to the situation was overwhelming, because we have had support from villagers as well as the relevant authorities as school was immediately dismissed for the day.

On Monday, there will be a counselling session for staff along with a few of the parents who would have witnessed what would have happened.” On Thursday January 25, Tobago recorded its first murder for this year when James Wise, 47, of Crown Point was gunned down. The Tobago Homicide Bureau is investigating both murders.

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