The dismembered body found on the Annandale foreshore last Thursday is strongly believed to be that of Samantha Benjamin, 40, of Buxton.
A man who was seen in her yard and behaving suspiciously has been taken into custody.
Her estranged husband, who preferred to remain anonymous, told Stabroek News last night that the last time he spoke to her was last Wednesday. He said that the two of them had made plans to pick up a car which Benjamin had purchased, but she did not show up. The man said he had tried calling her phone but it kept going to voicemail.
He said he thought the woman had changed her mind and did not think much of it. He did not hear from his estranged wife over the weekend and he found it odd since she would always make contact with him. He said it was only yesterday he started to worry. He said the car dealer called him and enquired about his wife. He said he then had a funny feeling about her fate.
What was even more worrying to him was the fact that a friend visited him and told him that Benjamin occupies a home at Buxton, Middle Walk and the woman had not been seen for days. He said this prompted him and a cousin to investigate the house where his wife was staying.
The man said the bedroom had all of her nail polish scattered, along with her hair extensions and other cosmetic items. He also said that the house also smelled rank.
While speaking to this publication, the man started to fight back tears. He told Stabroek News the woman has a tattoo of a heart on her leg. A resident of Buxton had told this newspaper on the day of the discovery of the body that a tattoo was on the dismembered woman’s leg. The estranged husband said he also believed that the brassiere the body was found with was Samantha’s. “Is Samantha brassiere…I hope is not she, when I go to the parlour”.
Benjamin had moved out of her husband’s home after they were having relationship problems. He said he had not seen his wife since then but they would make contact via phone.
A relative of Benjamin told Stabroek News that when he visited the home in Buxton, dried blood looked like it had been trickling down the beams. Blood was also between the grooves of the floorboards.
The relative said while leaving the home, he encountered a man, who had inquired what he had been doing there. The man said he was there to look after chickens.
However, the relative said there were no chickens in the yard. When he asked the man where the chickens were, he replied and said, “They are not here now.” The relative also asked about the blood, and the man told him, “it was cutex.” The relative said there was cutex but none of it was open and spilled on the floor.
He said that the man was very friendly and “you would think that nothing had happened at the house.” This is the man who is now in police custody.
The relative said there were reports in the community that the man was burning items and some of the residents believe that he and some other men might have done something to Benjamin because he was not alone on the night when she went missing.
Benjamin is an entrepreneur and she owns a boutique in Vendor’s Mall. The woman is also an American citizen and a social worker.
The head and limbs of the dismembered woman were found at the foreshore after the water receded.
