Years of abuse ended tragically on Friday after a 54-year-old woman was murdered in her Cummings Lodge, East Coast Demerara (ECD) home allegedly by a male relative, who has since admitted to committing the crime.
Reports are that the lifeless body of Merlyn Singh also known as ‘Jean’ was discovered in her bedroom at Lot 415 Eight Street, South East Cumming’s Lodge, ECD around 8am last Friday. She was allegedly beaten and strangled last Thursday night.
Merlyn lived in the upper flat of the house with her brother and sister-in-law while her father occupied the lower flat of the house. The woman, who relatives said was mentally unstable was last seen alive last Wednesday.
Stabroek News understands that Merlyn was left home alone around 2pm. Her sister-in-law attended a wedding in Mahaica while her brother went to work. Merlyn’s father was at home at the time but he has a hearing problem.
This newspaper was told that on Friday morning, Merlyn’s father woke up and called out for her several times but got no answer. He did not sense anything was amiss since he assumed she was not home.
However, relatives became suspicious when the dead woman’s brother returned home and also called out to her but he too did not get any answer. As a result, he decided to check on her when he made the gruesome discovery.
A post-mortem examination was subsequently performed which revealed that Merlyn died as a result of asphyxiation due to manual strangulation, compounded by blunt trauma to the head.
Confession
Following the post-mortem examination, the police acting on information received arrested the suspect, a security guard, who also resides at Cummings Lodge, ECD.
He is presently in police custody assisting with investigations.
A police source told Stabroek News that the suspect was questioned during which he reportedly confessed to committing the crime. He provided investigators with a detailed description of what transpired leading up to the act.
Stabroek News was told that the suspect told the police that he and Merlyn shared an intimate relationship.
He reportedly said that last Wednesday night, he met Merlyn on the road and she reportedly invited him to her house the following evening.
As a result, he said he and a friend were imbibing at a nearby shop last Thursday night after which he ventured to Merlyn’s place.
The suspect reportedly added that upon arriving, Merlyn allowed him into the house but became annoyed after she learnt that he was intoxicated.
He said that he held onto Merlyn and she fell on the bed. Subsequently, he said they became intimate. Later, the suspect further related that Merlyn got up from the bed and he pulled her down during which she hit her head.
The suspect also said that Merlyn then shouted his name twice and he choked her. He said that she became helpless after which he left and went home.
Abuse
Stabroek News yesterday visited the scene and spoke with residents of the community who related that Merlyn was a victim of constant physical and verbal abuse.
Merlyn’s neighbour, Indrawattie Persaud told this newspaper that Merlyn was constantly abused by members of her family.
“To me that was the normal way of life. If an incident happen now, she might get licks with a bucket or they exchange words verbally….they would threaten she and then like two, three days after all ah them deh upstairs, they eating, they drinking, the laughing together,” Persaud related.
Bhena Vandeyar, a resident of the area shared similar views. She said that Merlyn was oftentimes rescued by neighbours.
“The whole neighbourhood know she use to get beat…..She does always come and give complain that they thieving her stuff out, they beating her. She can’t get nothing. When she come she does cry and tell me….normally she don’t really full out tell you, but she would tell me piece piece. She always get licks. They does beat she,” Vandeyar said.
“They don’t give her nothing. She does can’t stay in peace in that house…They does really ill-treat she. They don’t treat she good, not at all. She really, really punish. Is the neighbours does rescue she most and look after her,” she added.
Vandeyar said she once attempted to get help for Merlyn but she needed the support of others. “People don’t really want come together like. It can’t be me alone. You got to get more people. People kind of don’t want to get in the family stuff,” she noted.
Madonna Ghanie, founder of Mommy’s Corner, a charitable organisation said that several months ago, Merlyn reached out to her for help after “she couldn’t take the abusing anymore”.
Merlyn said she encouraged her to report the incidents to the police.
Ghanie believed that Merlyn’s death could have been prevented had she received the level of intervention needed. “…Now she is dead and there isn’t anything else we can do except fight for justice for her and that’s exactly what I am trying to do,” she said.
Latest incident
The latest of the ordeals was in June this year when Merlyn was badly beaten with a spade during a misunderstanding with a female relative.
Stabroek News was informed that the incident stemmed from a misunderstanding.
During the misunderstanding, this newspaper was told that the Merlyn asked the relative to move out of her house during which she was attacked and beaten.
Ghanie said she encouraged Merlyn to report the matter to the police.
The relative was charged and placed on bail. The trial was ongoing at the Sparendaam Magistrate’s Court and today was set for a decision.
Persaud told Stabroek News that after this incident, Merlyn lived with her for close to one year during which she took care of her.
“She used to actually live on the street. And after that story, I nurse her back to health. I took her to the doctor, I took her to court and that was it,” she said.
