Autopsy: Johnitty was strangled

3199452

Sascha Wilson

Ligature strangulation.

That’s how plant operator Ryan Johnitty was killed, according to an autopsy performed yesterday at the Forensic Science Centre, Port-of-Spain.

Johnitty, 33, was found on Tuesday on a staircase inside his home by his parents.

A white plastic bag was over his head, a cord and belt were tied around his neck and there was also a wound to his neck.

Employed at Trinidad Generation Unlimited, Johnitty had worked the 7 am to 7 pm shift on Monday.

Neither his friends nor his relatives heard from him on Tuesday which was unusual so his parents went to his home to check on him.

The assailants stole his Kia Optima car but the police found it on Wednesday at Dolly Street, Marabella.

Johnitty lived alone at his Palm Drive, Dow Village, South Oropouche home and was the only child of his parents.

In a brief telephone interview yesterday, his mother Myrna broke down in tears.

She said, “When I think he would have buried me. I am very hurt about this. When you think that may be if he had died from the COVID or an accident or something I would have taken it differently but somebody murdered him. No, no, no, he did not deserve that.”

She said they were not even aware that he was assisting people who were in need during this pandemic because he was a private person and never wanted to be in the forefront.

He shared a strong bond with her and his father.

“I moulded him in the right way that I thought was best for him. One child I have. I never spare the rod with him, I did all that when he was a young tender age. When was time for licks I give him licks when it is time for book I give him book, time for fun he had fun and at the end of the day he grow to be a nice young man with respect and he had a great sense of humour,” she added.

She said her son was not disrespectful and was never in any quarrel or fight with anyone.

“He was very hardworking. He did not mix matters with his work, always at work on time. He was church-going, a great role model in the church and everything,” she also said

The mother said people from all over the country have been reaching out to them to express their condolences.

The family held a prayer service for him at their home yesterday.

Describing the Johnitty family, who lives in Cedros as respectable and church-going people, Cedros Councillor Shankar Teelucksingh said the murder shocked the community.

“It is very sad. We lost a very innovative and young person who give a lot to the community. He was a church-going person. I haven’t known the individual to be in any sort of bad behaviour. His parents are sound community members.”

He said on Tuesday when Johnitty’s mother could not reach him she contacted him to reach out to one of his friends to see whether they could get him on the phone.

“When I returned the call to say that he was not answering was around the same time they discovered his body in the house.

Teelucksingh was hopeful that the perpetrators would be brought to justice.

Up to last evening, the police had not made any arrests.