(Trinidad Express) A gold tooth cap with an engraving “Z” is the only way to identify one of two male victims whose charred remains were found in a burnt out house in Carlsen Field on Thursday.
However, no relatives of the two men suspected in the triple homicide turned up at the Forensic Sciences Centre to assist in identifying them.
Only the family of the third suspected victim – Michelle Harrylal – witnessed the autopsies on the remains.
Harrylal’s parents submitted tissue samples for DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) testing to have legally satisfying proof that it was their daughter’s remains in the house.
Michelle Harrylal
Harrylal is one of three people whose charred remains were believed to have been found in Harrylal’s house in a rural farming community, off Tanteak Road, on Thursday. Her three-year-old son was found wandering a street in Carlsen Field that morning and had told people his mother had “gone to heaven”.
Residents investigated and found the burnt-out house and remains of three people. There was a trail of blood in the bushes leading to the house, police said.
One of the other victims is suspected to be Harrylal’s boyfriend, 35-year-old Michael Applewaite, also known as “Gaza”. The other is suspected to be someone who residents identified only by the nickname “Reddo”.
Harrylal’s mother, Aliena Babwah, on Monday described her daughter’s killers as “animals” who will be dealt with by God.
Babwah said she remained baffled as to who wanted her daughter dead.
Asked about whether her daughter’s killing might be a “hit” ordered by a man who is imprisoned, she said she would not comment.
“I also heard that rumour that it might be someone from jail. But I cannot say ‘yes’ or ‘no’. I don’t have any comment because I don’t know”, she said. “But to the animals who did this, God will deal with you. He sees all things and your time will come”, Babwah said.
The only identifying mark found by forensic pathologist Dr Valery Alexandrov during the autopsies was a gold capped tooth with an engraved “Z”.
“They (officials at the Forensic Science Centre) called for relatives of Applewaite and no one came forward. And there was not anyone there for the other guy also”, Babwah said.
She maintained that Applewaite was not her daughter’s boyfriend or husband.
“They were very good friends and neighbours. He was her closest neighbour”, said the mother.
Danah Babwah, Harrylal’s sister, said her sister lived in the board structure, which was not supplied with electricity, for approximately a year.
The remains of the three were “burnt beyond any possible recognition”, with heavy damage to tissue and bone of all three skeletal structures, making it unable to determine the cause of death, forensic pathologist Dr Valery Alexandrov said following the autopsy on Friday.
Police believe that the three were shot before their bodies burnt in the house.
Police say the bodies of the three victims were badly burned, but they were confident the remains belonged to the three people named.
A white Hyundai Accent car was towed from the scene. It is believed to belong to one of the victims.
Babwah said that Harrylal’s three year old son, who has been in her care since the incident, had been visited by a counsellor on Friday.