A 41-year-old businesswoman and her two young sons were murdered some time between Friday night and Saturday morning and their bodies were found at her Anna Catherina, West Coast Demerara home on Saturday evening.
Dead are Jennifer Persaud, 41, the owner of a liquor store and bar at Anna Catherina and her sons Afridi Bacchus, 6, and Jadon Persaud who was 18 months old. The woman’s partner, from whom she had recently separated, was taken into police custody when he turned up at the scene and up to last evening was being grilled by the police. He was the father of Jadon, and two bags packed with his son’s clothes were found, relatives said.
In a statement announcing investigations, police said that the bodies were discovered about 8.10pm on Saturday and the trio’s throats had been slit. A man has been arrested and is in police custody assisting with the investigations, the statement said.
Yesterday morning, grieving relatives gathered at the Sea View, Anna Catherina home even as police examined the home and dusted it for fingerprints. Persaud was the mother of six and one of her daughters, Angela, told Stabroek News her mother’s body was found on the bed in her bedroom with Afridi on top of her and Jadon on the floor by the bed. She said she was uncertain of the time that the murders occurred. “It gah be Friday night because she was in she nightie, she was sleeping in she bed. She went in she bed because that’s how she die, she throat slit in she bed,” she said. Angela added that the bodies had started to decompose when the discovery was made.
Relatives said that nothing was taken. “Only the wardrobe they tumble lil bit,” said Angela. She added that the rest of the house was untouched.
Persaud’s partner, who is about 23-years-old, was put out of the house recently after the couple fought, relatives said. They said that he ill-treated her often and this was attested to by neighbours. “She always tell me that how she put he out : ‘I put he out, this is me house I put he out, I putting he out, me is the boss here‘; she always tell me she is the boss here,” Persaud’s sister, Pauline Persaud said amid sobs. “He does ill treat she a lot because a lot of people does talk about it,” Angela said.
Pauline related that the family became worried after Persaud did not call as she normally did. She said that the last time she spoke with her sister was about 2pm on Friday. “We call whole day yesterday [Saturday], everybody try calling she,” she said. She said that the bar, which was normally open on Saturday since it is the busiest day, was closed all day.
Pauline said that her son had also gone to Persaud’s home to collect chicken and called for about two-and-a-half hours without getting any response. She said that he then called her and informed her that he was not getting a response to his calls and returned home. Relatives returned at about 6pm and called for Persaud again. After still not getting a response, they climbed on the roof, “go in the window and when they go in the window they see she in the bed,” Angela said.
Other residents said that the woman’s partner was at a cricket match at Tuschen and upon his return was taken into custody. “When he come no cry on he face, no facial [expression], nothing… no cry, he jus say he ain know nothing about dah and he ain know nuttin and that’s how come the police lock he up because dats how he face was,” Angela said. The man is the father of the youngest boy, Jadon and “they seh they find two bag been pack already for he son,” Angela said. She added that while most persons are saying that it was Persaud’s partner who killed them, they are not sure since as yet, there is no proof.
Afridi lived with his father and had only come to spend a few days with his mother.
Relatives said that they did not know Persaud’s partner very well and recalled that they had became a couple about two years ago.
Pauline, amid sobs recalled that her sister had operated the bar for about eight years. “She is a hard-working woman. She come here with nothing, she work very hard to build this up, now she have to leave it,” she cried. Persaud moved to Anna Catherina after splitting up with her first husband and rented a place in the community and opened a shop. “From working in that shop deh, she buy this land empty with a lil house and that’s how she build… she work and build this sheself,” Angela said while gesturing to the two-storey building.
Police are continuing investigations.
