An elderly woman was yesterday morning discovered dead in her home at Triumph, East Coast Demerara, just hours after alerting family that bandits were trying to get into her home.
Although there were suspected marks of violence on the body of Somaria Sookdeo, 75, called “Elsie,” police are awaiting a post-mortem examination to pronounce on whether there was foul play in her sudden death.
Sookdeo, a mother of two who resided at Surat Drive, Triumph, for over 20 years, was discovered by her son-in-law, Krishna Sookdeo, at around 4.40 am yesterday.
Three louvre panes were removed from a window at the northern side of her house and there were marks of violence on her body, including to her forehead.
Speaking to this newspaper from his La Bonne Intention home, the man told Stabroek News that his wife received a call from her mother around 2 am yesterday. She informed them that bandits were trying to gain entry into the house. As a result, he said, they advised her to ensure the place was tightly locked and to secure her valuables.
Around 4.30 am, Krishna Sookdeo went to the house and made several attempts to gain entry after he called out for Somaria several times and got no response. He eventually removed some louvre panes and climbed through a window, after which he made the discovery.
“I went in the house and after I didn’t see she and I know she does already wake up, I went straight to her bedroom where I found her lying on her bed, which was covered with a mosquito net, with about $200,000 cash, lying neatly next to her,” he explained.
The police were summoned and an examination of the body uncovered a mark on her forehead. Murder has not been ruled out but this newspaper was told that the dead woman did suffer from high blood pressure.
Neighbours did not recall hearing any strange sounds coming from the woman’s house that would have aroused suspicions that something wasn’t right.
Sookdeo was described as a very active and jovial person by those who knew her
