Candice's gruesome end – dismembered body stuffed in suitcase, dumped in pond

A FAMILY'S FRANTIC search for a missing 22-year-old Sangre Chiquito woman ended tragically yesterday with the gruesome discovery of a suitcase stuffed with body parts submerged in a shallow pond off Oropouche Road, Valencia, on July 17.

The remains are believed to be that of Candice Honore who was reported missing on July 10.

In an interview with Newsday at the family's home, Leanne Honore was distraught but said she had accepted her sister’s fate.

She expressed sadness that Candice’s plans for a better future had been cut short.

“She wanted to go to school to study nursing.

“And she had recently gotten her passport and was working towards getting her (US) visa to go Florida, where her aunt and godfather live.”

Leanne said she believes someone her sister was once close with was responsible for her death.

Describing the man she believes to be responsible as “abusive, obsessive, and threatening,” Leanne warned women to be careful about who they let into their life.

“I used to see bruises, blue and black spots all over her body and even under her eyes. It was a very bad situation. I tried to talk to her.”

“Don’t stay in abusive relationships thinking it’s love,” she warned women. “It’s not. It always ends badly.”

Asked about the investigation into Candice's death at a post Cabinet press conference on July 17, Homeland Security Minister Roger Alexander suggested there was a link between her death and her social media presence.

“Police are presently looking at a particular type of investigation where this is concerned and I wouldn't want to say much about it.”

Pressed for more details, Alexander said he was wary of making comments that could interfere with the investigation but added, “I want persons, especially females, to be careful with the social media network in terms of their dating behaviours.”

Candice's father: I was optimistic

Candice's father, Michael Honore, went to the pond where the suitcase was found and shared the painful journey from first learning of his daughter's disappearance to the moment his worst fears were realised.

Honore never imagined that the last time he saw Candice smile during a fleeting conversation would have been the last time he saw her alive.

As they did not live together, he often met her at her workplace to catch up.

Last Monday afternoon, though, they met in passing while on the road and shared a quick conversation as he was busy at the time and could not stop to speak for long.

“She was in one vehicle and I was in another. We spoke briefly. She was eating in the passenger seat. Everything seemed normal.”

“She was smiling,” Honore recalled. “Her smile does get people weak.”

They promised to keep in touch, but days later, Candice was reported missing.

Candice’s sister Leanne was the first in the family to realise something was wrong and on July 11, reported her as missing having last seen her on July 7.

“Even if she stays out she always communicates,” Leanne said.

“But when I tried calling her, it went straight to voicemail. I called her best friend, but she hadn’t heard from her since Sunday.”

Honore said he did not know she was missing until after Leanne filed the police report.

When he did find out, he jumped into action to help search for her and began piecing together her whereabouts while trying to remain positive.

“From the moment I realised what was happening. I hoped we would find her. I was optimistic.

“I was giving everyone optimistic energy, but inside I felt lifeless. I hoped she would be found alive.”

The breakthrough came when volunteers from Hunters Search and Rescue, led by Vallence Rambharat, focused their search efforts on Oropouche Road in Valencia after gathering bits of information from residents and other sources.

Rambharat said they began searching at 6 am on July 17 and half hour later they found a large suitcase lying in a shallow pond about 15 feet from the road.

“It looked suspicious. We called the police who came and asked us to retrieve it.”

Using specialised equipment with ropes and hooks, the team pulled the suitcase from the water before opening it for the police and stepping aside.

He said they caught a glimpse, though, of clear and black-coloured plastic bags stuffed inside the suitcase.

“The officers saw what appeared to be a human hand in one of the bags. That was enough to call homicide and forensic teams.”

The remains appeared to have been chopped and concealed inside the bags, making identification impossible at the scene.

Rambharat told Newsday this was the most horrific and brutal find he has encountered in years.

“It was as if done with rage. Not just to hide the body, but out of anger.”

“Maybe after this, some of us need counselling. Well, me at least for sure. It’s that shocking.”

Search led relatives to home of 'suspect'

When Newsday arrived, the trail of liquids from the decomposed remains in the suitcase could still be seen on the dirt road where it was dragged out of the pond.

The stench of death lingered in the air as Honore spoke with the media metres away from where the remains were found.

He revealed his sleuthing had led to him finding a man he believes is connected to Candice's disappearance, although he does not know the man’s name.

“I started to infer around to the best of my ability until I reach exactly by the suitcase owner.

“Then last night I reach by the person who saw the suitcase put in the car and I was by who I believe is the suspect. I don’t even know his name.”

He said up till July 16, he maintained his positive thoughts.

“In the back of my head I may have been thinking it but I didn’t send that discouragement out there because I was on the better side and feeling good about to it to know that we will find her.”

He added Candice had disappeared before for about three days but had returned home.

“This time I just thought she would be gone for a little while longer.”

He said his positive thoughts were buoyed by Candice’s attitude and spirit.

“She had an attitude and I did love the attitude. And I know she was rugged.”

Honore said the information he uncovered on the night of July 16, though, left him feeling uneasy and he was unable to sleep well.

“I knew by today something would have come out of it.

“Whole night every time I wake up it’s because these thoughts just coming. I say, ‘Today will be some kind of (answers) further than this because that is the only thing it could get to now.’”

Police have not yet confirmed the identity of the remains and DNA testing still needs to be done.

But relatives who had prayed for her safe return have now accepted the worst.

A female relative at the family's home told Newsday, “I accept that it is her. It’s not the way I would have wanted, but at least we have closure.”

Honore was hesitant to say if he believed the remains in the suitcase were his daughter’s.

With pain in his voice he added, “I wasn’t expecting this to happen to her because I thought she had sense, a little more wisdom... but smartness can get weak sometimes.”

A FAMILY'S FRANTIC search for a missing 22-year-old Sangre Chiquito woman ended tragically yesterday with the gruesome discovery of a suitcase stuffed with body parts submerged in a shallow pond off Oropouche Road, Valencia, on July 17.