Agonising wails of a mother echoed through the community of Gangaram Trace, Brother’s Road, New Grant after the bodies of her daughter Crystal Jagroop and her common-law husband Michael Deonarine were found on Tuesday night.
“Oh God, Crystal. Don’t leave me,” cried 45-year-old Rosemarie Jagroop as relatives tried to console her.
It is believed that the couple was murdered on Sunday night, since it was the last time they were seen alive.
Villagers also recalled hearing gunshots sometime that night.
But, it was the foul stench that led to the discovery of their bodies. Relatives said Deonarine was shot at least four times while Jagroop was shot twice. Deonarine’s step-sister Shalini Ramsaroop said the couple was drinking on Sunday night.
“Like they get kill Sunday night but we only found it yesterday because a man was passing and something was smelling real bad and when he do watch he see flies and he call one of the uncles and tell him.”
Deonarine’s uncle went to the house but he did not go inside. Instead, he called the police and when the officers arrived they broke down the door. Deonarine’s naked body was found on the bed while Jagroop’s semi-nude’s body was found on the floor. Fortunately, Jagroop’s six-year-old daughter was not at home. Their murders, however, have left the community shaken and relatives baffled.
Jagroop was a housewife while Deonarine was a scrap iron worker and a labourer.
Jagroop’s mother Rosemarie, said she was at work in Port-of-Spain when she got the news.
“It not nice being a mother facing this. I feel like my whole life going. I want justice because my daughter and me use to go down so good. She brother and sister cannot cope with it.”
The eldest of her five children, Jagroop had been involved with Deonarine for about 13 months.
The mother said the couple had a rocky relationship, but her daughter never spoke about their lives being in danger.
She said Jagroop’s daughter had been staying by her for the last two weeks. She said on Sunday Jagroop had asked for her daughter to come back home but Rosemarie did not send her.
“She was a nice loving person, always making joke. When she come she make joke, we cook, we eat, we lime, the neighbourhood, everybody love she so much.”
Deonarine’s relatives were also trying to make sense of the murders. “To we and to everybody he was a nice a nice person,” said Ramsaroop.
Homicide detectives are still trying to ascertain a motive for the killings.
