(Trinidad Express) The suspect in Tobago’s 11th murder walked into the Shirvan Road Police Station yesterday, told police a murder had been committed and then led officers to the crime scene at Gleneagles Drive, Mt Irvine. There they found the burnt body of Jenelle Thomas-Stowe.
Relatives told the Express that Thomas-Stowe was in the process of ending her relationship with a man who had previously threatened her with a gun.
She and the man had an argument early yesterday morning, police were told.
Thomas-Stowe, a mother of two who was employed as a cleaner, was later found dead.
She had been burned and thrown in a drain at Gleneagles Drive.
Her hands and feet were tied with pieces of rope.
The suspect later visited the Shirvan Road Police Station and led the lawmen to the gruesome find.
An autopsy is to be performed to determine the exact cause of death.
Relatives were inconsolable when the Express visited the mother of Thomas-Stowe at her home in Signal Hill yesterday.
Assistant Commissioner of Police Tobago Collis Hazel told the Express: “The suspect is in police custody and would soon make a court appearance after charges are laid.”
Tobago recorded ten murders in 2022, compared to 11 this year so far.
ACP Hazel has described the murder of Thomas-Stowe as tragic, painstaking and troubling.
“You cannot predict as much as you may want to predict statistics, is the fact that domestic violence where we have murders as a result of domestic violence, it’s sometimes very hard for the police to in any way curtail these types of violence. These are things that happen within the bedroom of persons. These are things in which sometimes they’re not coming out,” Hazel said.
He called on citizens to be their brothers’ keepers.
“I want to take the opportunity to send the message to persons who from time to time know of persons who are going through situations like this. We have to play a peeping Tom. We have to get inside there and provide that support, that encouragement. Don’t leave it. Crime is everybody’s concern. Had the police had any knowledge of any information coming out of this situation (yesterday) we would have been able to provide the support of Victim and Witness Protection officers…And therefore we are asking for that continued engagement with our stakeholders to sensitise us on issues of domestic violence,” Hazel said.
