Missing Trinidadian teen's remains found in family's backyard after 7 years

skeletal remains of 18-year-old Hannah Mathura, who went missing in Trinidad and Tobago in 2017, have been found in the backyard of her family home in Valsayn after seven years

Tuesday, 23rd April 2024

Missing Trinidadian teen's remains found in family's backyard after 7 years

Trinidad and Tobago: The skeletal remains of 18-year-old Hannah Mathura, who went missing in Trinidad and Tobago in 2017, have been found in the backyard of her family home in Valsayn after seven years. The police officials found the remains of the disabled child on Tuesday, March 12, 2024, and sent them for DNA. The officials said that the remains of Matura, who disappeared in 2017, but was never reported missing to the police, were discovered in a tube top, a pair of red pants and underwear, dug in a one-foot-deep grave near a tree behind the family's home at Butu Road, South Valsyn in Trinidad. Also, the autopsy revealed that the victim was shot in the head, which is why the officials are treating the incident as a homicide. According to the reports, the investigators reportedly received the results of the DNA test between Wednesday and Thursday, after which they approached the Director of Public Prosecutions, Roger Gaspard, on Friday. The officials discussed the case and has again opened investigations into the matter. The police reported that the tests were done on the bone marrow, and biological tissue like cartilage remaining in the decomposed skeletal remains were compared with the samples from Mathura's siblings to confirm the development. The police officials further added that there are still some critical gaps in the investigation that are preventing any charges from being laid presently. Reportedly, a male relative of Hannah Mathura contacted officers of St Joseph police station on March 10 and informed them about the presence of remains that he suspected were of the 18-year-old girl. The officers, along with the officials from the homicide bureau of Investigations Region II, visited the site two days later with an excavator from the Tunapuna regional corporation that they used to dig the skeletal remains out of the garden before sending it for DNA. As the investigation continues, the citizens and residents of the country are expressing their shock over the incident through Facebook comments. "I pray that the siblings are in therapy. Many years of darkness. Such a dreadful situation," wrote a user named June Carter. In addition to this, Andrew Mathura, father of Hannah Mathura, has been held by the police, with the assistance of the Hunters Search and Rescue Team. [caption id="attachment_70683" align="aligncenter" width="457"]

Father of Hannah Mathura[/caption] Hannah, a disabled child, was born to Alana Girod and Andrew Mathura in 1999. She, along with her 6 other siblings and her mother, suffered daily abuse - verbal, physical, mental, and emotional. Andrew Mathura would regularly curse and beat his wife and children, chopping the wife on several occasions and beating poor Hannah with even pieces of wood. 2 neighbours have said they reported the cries of Hannah to the St. Joseph police station on several occasions and were told that the officers had no vehicles on the compound. They never visited the house. One day in 2017, Hannah's cries and screams stopped, and she was never seen again. She would have turned 25 this year.

Monika Walker

Monika Walker is an experienced journalist specializing in global political developments and international relations. With a keen eye for accuracy and analysis, Monika has been reporting for over a decade, bringing stories to light that matter to readers around the world. She holds a degree in International Journalism and is passionate about giving a voice to underrepresented communities through factual reporting.