Trinidad woman, 68, killed at home; male relative in custody

Trinidad and Tobago: A 68-year-old woman was killed at her home on Nanan Street, Bamboo #1, Valsayn, on December 24. A male relative is in custody, and police say he later consumed poison in an apparent suicide attempt.

The victim has been identified as a 68-year-old woman, Shaffina Hosein Madoo, a resident of Nanan Street, Bamboo #1, Valsayn. While the suspect has been identified as a 60-year-old male relative, suspected to be the victim’s boyfriend/live-in partner. He is an employee of Xtra Foods Supermarket.

According to police reports, around 12:49 a.m., the daughter of the victim contacted the officers and reported them about the incident. Responding to which the officers reached the place of the incident and met with the daughter of the deceased.

During the interview, the victim’s daughter told the officers that she received a phone call from the suspect who confessed that he had beaten my mother with a rolling pin and later killed her. The suspect has also told the victim’s daughter that “he also consumed a poisonous substance.” 

The victim’s daughter also told the officials that "he was living with my mother for the past 2 years and originated from the Barrackpore area.”

After that the officers entered the house through an ajar wooden door, where they discovered the victim was lying motionless on her back. The officer also noticed that she was wearing a cream-coloured dress and red underwear, both stained with blood.

Officers also found the suspect who was lying beside the body of the victim where he was vomiting some substance and was physically distressed after having consumed a poisonous substance.

Upon being questioned by the the culprit reported that the victim had betrayed him. This caused the suspect to get agitated and beat her with ‘bilna’ and killed her.

He further stated that “I saw some messages on her phone with another man with whom she was chatting. I work extra hard for her to provide for her, how could she betray me? This is why I killed her.”

Authorities stated that the Emergency Health Service checked the victim for signs of life but pronounced her dead and took the male suspect who consumed poison to the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex, Mt Hope, under police escort.

Later the district medical officer officially pronounced the victim Shaffina dead and ordered to transport her body to the Forensic Science Centre, to conduct a post-mortem examination.

Since then the police have launched an investigation into the matter and no information about the suspect's health has been released by them.