Retired teacher found dead at Malabar home

RESIDENTS of Pamphille Avenue in Malabar are more angry than frightened after the discovery of their elderly neighbour Judith Harris, found dead in her bedroom on March 12. Her decomposing body was found with a chair filled with clothes over her head and another over her legs.

Newsday visited the community on March 14 and met a group of residents gathered at the corner of the cul-de-sac near Harris's home, watching as yellow caution tape fluttered in the wind, tied to her front gate.

Speaking to Newsday, one neighbour said Harris was a former school teacher at the Malabar Government Primary School and lived in the area for over 30 years.

The neighbour, who preferred not to be named, said Harris had few visitors and was known for her quiet routine. She would get up early, tend to her flowers and maintain her immaculately kept yard. In a soft, sombre tone, he added, "Everyone has a family, though."

Many residents suspected Harris had been murdered.

A retired police officer at the scene voiced concern over what he believed was a lack of respect for the elderly in TT, calling the killing senseless.

"Young people do not respect their elders any more. Nobody wants to work hard. We need to bring this country back to a place of love and respect for our elders."

Around 12.30 pm, two plain-clothes police officers arrived at Harris’s home and made their way to the rear.

Newsday observed damage to the home's front security door, likely caused by an earlier visit by officers who were called after a neighbour reported a foul smell coming from the property.

By 3.30 pm, officers from the Malabar Police Post arrived and forced open the door, where they met the gruesome scene. The rear of Harris's home faces Malabar Extension Road and is roughly about three minutes from Pro Sports Bar.

Her backyard, full of flowers, showed no signs of the tragedy that unfolded inside. It is separated by a piece of barricaded land. Despite the added layer of security with two gates, Harris has direct access to the street.

The curtains in her back bedroom, where she was allegedly found, were tucked in the louvres, providing passersby a clear view into it. The room measured roughly 15 feet by 10 feet.

Reports say Harris was found lying on her stomach, with her right hand inside a red brick and another brick positioned near her stomach.

"What has this place really come to?" one onlooker asked, recalling how Harris was typically up early, often leaving the house by six in the morning to catch a taxi.

He described her as a "strong woman" and said she owned another property in the area.

The Extension Road residents were shocked by the news of Harris's death. One woman said Harris had often given her money for her children, while another recalled Harris had taught his niece and nephew.

"The last thing she told me was she aren’t get her pension yet," the woman said, visibly shaken as she processed the loss.

On February 5, 2024, retired school teacher Hyacinth Gardner, a US resident, was found dead in her Santa Rosa home: her bloody body was also found in her bedroom. An autopsy revealed she was beaten to death. Sherwayne Williams, a 27-year-old man from Wallerfield, was charged with her murder.

In December, Couva pensioner Aamina Mohammed, 68, was brutally killed when two men broke in during a home invasion. The men tearing up a sheet bound her husband's hands and feet before instructing her to take them to the couples valuable. After robbing the couple the men stabbed and killed Mohammed.

Businesswoman Bibi Zamilla Swamber was killed at her home on March 4. The 67-year-old woman's lifeless body was found with her hands and feet tied together at her Cunupia home.