The lifeless body of 62-year-old Rosaline Periana formerly of Broadway Road, Arima, Trinidad and Tobago, was found covered in blood on Saturday in her lover’s apartment at Madras Road, St Helena.
It is believed that the Guyanese woman was chopped to death on Friday evening, and her body was discovered several hours later. The murder suspect is said to be a clothes vendor who plies his trade in Tobago.
Based on reports received, the now dead woman moved in with the suspect about three months ago and from all indications, she was a victim of domestic violence since screams emanated from the apartment on a daily basis.
Tenants in the apartment building recalled hearing screams on Friday evening and soon after the place fell silent. A few minutes later, the suspect was seen boarding a taxi with two plastic bags in his hands.
The tenants told Police that they did not respond to the screams, since these were a norm, so they paid no heed. However, the driver of the car in which the suspect left went to the tenants and told them to check on the woman, claiming that the man was acting in stranger manner and spoke in riddles.
The Police were called in and upon breaking down the door to gain entry to the apartment, the woman’s body was found. Police confirmed that the woman’s body bore several chops and a blood-stained cutlass was found nearby.
The suspect, according to reports in Newsday, had been renting the apartment since August.
“Almost every day she got licks. She was not allowed to even tell us ‘good morning’ or ‘good evening’. One time the woman burnt the pork while cooking and that man beat her bad, bad. Another day, she was carrying some bags in both hands and he pushed her for walking too slow,” said another of the tenants.
A post-mortem was scheduled for yesterday (Monday) at the Forensic Science Centre in St James, Trinidad. Police are still looking for the suspect.
