Elderly woman’s decomposing body found in apartment

Jul 16, 2008 News

— relatives suspect robbery and strangulation

Relatives of a 54-year-old woman were thrown into deep grief and shock when they discovered her already decomposing body lying in her apartment that had been ransacked by apparent intruders.

The body, according to relatives of deceased Camille Chan, was relieved of several gold rings and two ‘very expensive’ gold chains that the woman wore around her neck.

Her sister, Shamyoul Alli, said that when the body was discovered at around 17:00 hrs yesterday, there was a rope tied tightly around the neck and secured to a large ‘clothes rack’ in the apartment.

When Kaieteur News arrived at the home at 72 Atlantic Gardens, relatives were weeping on the steps of a two-storeyed building while several neighbours gathered around the property in support.

One relative related that the deceased was residing in an apartment in the lower flat of the building she had been maintaining for another sister overseas.

The relative said that the woman would normally sleep upstairs at intervals but preferred to dwell in her apartment in the empty building.

One relative, who called herself Nafeeza, said that the dead woman worked with another sister in Kitty. It was this sister who called making inquiries about her whereabouts after she did not see her at work since Friday.

They said that when they arrived at the home in Atlantic Gardens yesterday, the gate was ajar and the door to the apartment was also wide open.

Some said the pungent fumes of a decomposing body emitted from the open door and investigation revealed the slightly bloated body shackled to the clothes rack by the rope that was around the neck. Relatives were unable to say if anything else of value was taken from the apartment.

One relative said the woman had made complaints of ‘people harassing her’, but had not identified anyone in particular.

They said that the body was discovered in a pool of what appeared to be fluid on the floor of the apartment while items thrown around the structure indicated signs of a struggle. The deceased was never married and had no children to grieve her death.

Police arrived on the scene yesterday and took the customary statements from weeping relatives.
The body was later removed and taken to a city parlour. (Alex Wayne)

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