(Trinidad Guardian) A 30-year-old mother of three has been fatally stabbed by her common-law husband in Arima, two weeks after she fled from an abusive relationship. The Nanan family at Brazil Village, San Raphael, was plunged into mourning on Saturday—the second time in 31 years—after a murder/ suicide incident came right on their doorstep. Apparently obsessed that his common-law wife, Dianne Baptiste had left him, Michael Isaac, in a fit of rage, brutally stabbed her to death before taking his life. Isaac, 34, and Baptiste, 30, lived at a house along Transport Street, Brazil.
Baptiste was the mother of two boys and a girl, ages 14, 12 and 11. The incident occurred outside the Guanapo Road, Arima, home of Baptiste’s sister, Rose Nanan, shortly around 10 am, police said. According to Nanan, this was not the first time Isaac attempted to kill Baptiste. “He use to abuse her real plenty and she just wanted to get out; that is why she left him. He came a night at my house with a knife to kill her about two weeks ago, but I and some fellas from the area were around so he decided to leave,” a tearful Nanan said. According to Nanan, Isaac kept following and chasing Baptiste, pleading with her to come back home.
Nanan said she regretted that she could not do any- thing to save her sister. Isaac’s brother-in-law, Steve Samaroo described him as a very cool person who would go out of his way to assist someone. He said he was shocked over the incident and expressed sympathy to Baptiste’s family. Isaac was married to one of Samaroo’s sisters but they had separated. According to police, Baptiste was at Nanan’s home when she received a telephone call from Isaac.
She went outside to speak with him following which an argument ensued. Isaac whipped out a knife and dealt Baptiste multiple stabs about the neck and back.