The police have arrested one person in connection with the murder of 68-year-old Ursilla Padarat, who was discovered dead in her home on Wednesday with a wound to her neck.
Police spokesman Jairam Ramlakhan yesterday confirmed to Stabroek News that the man, who has no fixed place of abode, was being questioned up to yesterday afternoon.
Meanwhile, an autopsy yesterday revealed that Padarat died as a result of blunt trauma to her head and the wound to her neck.
Stabroek News had previously reported that Padarat, of Lot 556 Masjid Street, Belle West Housing Scheme, Canal Number Two Polder, was found just around 7 am on Wednesday sitting on a chair in her home by a man, who claimed that the woman cooked for him.
There was a pen and book on the table next to her. It is suspected that she was killed during a robbery. She may have had money in her possession overseas relatives had sent her monetary gifts for her recent birthday.
The woman only celebrated her birthday last Saturday and was reported to be in high spirits, telling relatives and friends what she would do for her next birthday.
Her daughter, Sharda Persaud, told this newspaper that her mother had visited a niece at Diamond, East Bank Demerara two days prior to her death and wanted to stay over but decided against it since work on the septic tank at her house was supposed to start on the morning she was found.
That Monday night at 7.55, Sharda had said that her mother called up a relative to find out the cost for materials needed for building the septic tank.
According to Sharda, Ursilla told the relative over the phone that the man responsible for the work was seated next to her.
A nephew, who asked not to be named, said that his aunt had only last Monday received $123,000 from a grandson in New York but that was missing along with her handbag that the money was believed to be in.
Missing also were a purse, her phone and the pair of earrings she was believed to be wearing at the time she met her death. According to the nephew, relatives believe whoever was with her was invited into the house as she usually locked her gate. He added that the padlock used to lock the gate was a sturdy one and couldn’t be broken easily and therefore if it was locked she would have had to open it for whomever entered. The man said also that police retrieved a haversack believed to belong to the person who was with her at the time of her death.
Neighbours told Stabroek News that they didn’t hear any sounds coming from the house at any time during the night.
