The Guyana Police Force said investigators found a note in the living room of the house, where the badly decomposed bodies of a woman and her teenage daughter were discovered at their Providence, East Bank Demerara home early Wednesday.
In a statement from the GPF’s Corporate Communications Unit, it was noted that sometime around 14:00 hours, the bodies of 38-year-old Petrous Latchman-Ross, unemployed, and her daughter, 13-year-old Gabrielle Ross were found in their Phase 3 Plantation, Providence house.
The Police say the house was being rented by Petrous’ husband, Hemanchal Latchman. The two were married for five years but separated in September 2022. Gabrielle is Petrous’ child from a previous relationship.
Latchman told investigators that after he moved out, he continued paying the rent for the woman and her daughter. He last visited them in January this year.
Today, the man accompanied the owner of the house, who wanted to inspect the building, to the residence at about 13:00h but they got no response. After several calls went unanswered, Latchman became suspicious.
As a result, with the assistance of a neighbour, they pried open the front door and immediately got a fowl scent coming from inside of the house. They then ventured inside and saw the partly decomposed bodies of both females lying on the ground in the back bedroom of the house.
The police were immediately summoned to the scene.
“Three plastic bottles, one glass bottle containing liquid substances and two cups were found next to the bodies while two small glass containers containing a whitish substance were recovered from the refrigerator along with a note in the living room. Blood samples were taken from the bodies of both deceased,” the police said.
INews understands that in the suicide note, the woman penned her frustration with her living situation.
Meanwhile, Latchman told reporters at the scene this afternoon that this is not the first time they had to break the door of the house. He recalled that in January when the landlady had gone to inspect the house, it was found locked and so, she called him to have it open.
The man said after they broke the lock, the woman and the child, who is visually impaired, were found safe in the house.
Nevertheless, the bodies have been removed by undertakers and taken to the Memorial Gardens Funeral Parlour, where they were placed into cold storage awaiting post-mortem.
Several persons were contacted, interviewed, and statements taken. The area was canvassed for CCTV cameras, but none was seen.
Investigations are ongoing, the police said.
