The community of Belle West, West Bank Demerara (WBD) was plunged into a state of shock after the body of a 68-year-old pensioner, which bore a stab wound to the neck and another to the head, was discovered in her home on Wednesday morning.
Dead is Ursilla Padarta, called “Data”, of Lot 566 Belle West, Canal Number Two Polder, WBD. The discovery was made some time after 07:00h by a carpenter who had returned to discuss the construction of a septic tank that the woman planned on doing.
According to the Police, the woman was killed between 19:45h Tuesday evening and 07:30h Wednesday morning. The murder weapon – an ice pick – was reportedly found in the house.
When Guyana Times International visited the scene Wednesday morning, Padarta’s nephew, Naresh Singh, related that his aunt had called another relative to talk about the work she had planned on doing some time on Tuesday evening and that was the last time they heard from her.
“At the time, the relative take the information from her (Padarta) about the things she has to get up to do the work and she said that the contractor was there at the same time. Then this morning before the relative could have sent the stuff over, the contractor came over and he found the body and raised the alarm,” Singh related.
The nephew went on to say that when the carpenter arrived at the house, the door was locked from the outside. Singh believes the woman was killed after the phone call on Tuesday night.
“She was sitting on the chair with a stab wound to her neck so it gotta be that it happen last night, because, too, her door wasn’t close from inside; it look like she was watching TV or something and wasn’t ready to lock up as yet,” he said.
According to neighbours, the pensioner who lived alone usually locked up late at night. They do not recall hearing or seeing anything strange the night before.
Meanwhile, as the Police are considering various theories based on information received from witnesses, this publication was told that the woman collected approximately G$123,000 in cash, which was sent by her grandson from overseas, from her daughter on Tuesday to do the work. Her handbag, which contained the money, cellphone and other documents, was missing. The house was not ransacked.
This newspaper understands that the carpenter, who discovered the woman’s body, could not be found for questioning by Police. Padarta was reportedly fond of the man and would usually cook for him and allow him into her house to watch television.
On the other hand, this publication was also informed that investigators were also on the hunt for a known junkie in the village who had an argument with the now deceased woman on Tuesday and was heard threatening to “deal with her” later.
While neighbours could not say the reason behind the row between Padarta and the individual known as “Lapar”, they suspect he might have gone to steal from the woman. According to nearby residents, he was last seen around the area earlier on Wednesday shortly after the discovery was made.
The neighbours called him a “big smokie” and “thief man” in the village, while bemoaning the fact the Police never took reports against him seriously.
“The Police don’t pay attention to he … people does make report, but they didn’t do anything, all they does say they need more evidence and now look what happened,” one man lamented.
Nevertheless, the body of Padarta is currently at the Ezekiel Funeral Home awaiting a post-mortem examination scheduled for Friday.
