(Trinidad Guardian) Just days before their divorce was to be finalised, a T&T woman was fatally shot by her abusive estranged husband outside a house in Katy, Texas, in the United States.
Nityadevi Ramroop, 35, a mother of three and her killer Beesham Ramroop, who was later found dead from a self-inflicted gun shot wound more than a mile from the murder scene, were originally from south Trinidad.
Reports in various US media state that Nityadevi had just returned home from work around 11 pm Tuesday when she was ambushed by her husband and gunned down in the driveway of the house on Upland Springs Trace in Katy, authorities said. He then tried to force his way into the house and stabbed Ramroop’s 25-year-old sister, who survived the attack.
The couple’s children, ages 7, 13 and 16, were all home at the time of the killing
The New York Post reported that Nityadevi had repeatedly asked police for protection because she feared for her life, but nothing was done to help her. She was killed outside a house that she was trying to keep a secret from her husband because of the repeated abuse he inflicted on her as well as threats she faced from him, her lawyer Uche Ohia said.
Ohia said the Ramroops were just days away from finalizing their divorce and Nityadevi had been worried about her safety as the court date drew near.
“Her increasing fear was the trial coming up that he would do something to harm her,” Ohia said. “She was being told by his friends that he was saying some very alarming things.”
Ramroop had filed a protective order against her husband a few weeks earlier, but was concerned that the legal measure might not be enough, according to the lawyer.
Ohia said Nityadevi had made numerous reports about Beesham abusing her, stalking her and, on one occasion, vandalizing her car, but no charges were filed in any of those cases.
After their separation, Beesham was allegedly spotted following Nityadevi on a few occasions. He reportedly once followed her to a friend’s house and when authorities arrived upon being notified, they did not take any action claiming a crime had not been committed, Ohia says.
In another reported incident, he followed her to a location where she was enjoying a night out with friends, and pushed her and tried to drag her out of the bar, according to Ohia. A friend’s husband intervened, sparing her, before Beesham went out and vandalized her car.
A spokesperson for the Harris County Sheriff’s Office in Houston, Texas said Nityadevi contacted them in June claiming Beesham was following her and they told her to contact her attorney.
The couple had been married for almost 18 years and Nityadevi’s lawyer said during that time, Beesham subjected her to abuses and threats, including one instance when he was “playing around with knives” in front of her, became aggressive and “pushed her down” in front of their children
In addition to abuse allegations, tensions were high because of marital property and custody issues between the couple. Beesham had made threats directly to Nityadevi and mentioned to a friend that she would face consequences if she continued trying to get her share of their marital property.
