No news on probe into vanished Hannah Mathura

POLICE say they are still investigating issues regarding the cause of death of Hannah Mathura, and that is why no one has been charged yet in connection with her death.

Mathura, 18, was last seen in June 2017.

Her remains were found in the backyard of her Butu Road, Valsayn home on March 12, after one of her relatives told police she had been killed and buried there. The remains showed what appeared to be a gunshot wound to the skull.

Police collected the bones and did a DNA test to try to confirm their identity.

They approached the Director of Public Prosecutions with information unearthed during the investigation for advice on charging a person of interest in the case.

But they were told certain technical parts of the investigation needed more work before any recommendation could be made as to charges.

A police official connected to the case told Newsday, "Police are still considering legal/technical issues surrounding the cause of death. These technical issues are still being deliberated upon by investigators."

There have been very few developments in Hannah's case since March.

Her parents were initially held two days after her body was found, but were freed after a week in custody.

A senior officer told Newsday on March 15 that while the homicide investigation takes precedence, other charges can still be looked at, including unlawful disposal of a body and "abuse under the Children Act or any type of abusive behaviour."

DNA test results in April helped authorities to confirm the identity of the remains by a process of elimination.

A senior police officer told Newsday the police did not release the information, as the results could not conclusively prove the remains were Hannah's.

The officer said from the information available the police "deduced" the remains were Hannah’s.

"We didn't have a sample from Hannah to compare (the remains) to, but the test proved this person is an offspring of Hannah's parents.

"Seeing as we have birth records, and all the other siblings are accounted for, and we have no death record for Hannah, we have to deduce that it is her."

The Mathura siblings, through their lawyer Sanjiv Boodhu, told Newsday in April they had not yet been contacted about any updates in the investigation.

On June 4 Boodhu said he had told his clients to let him know if the police contact them, but they have not contacted him yet to say so.