The wails of Shirley Indarsingh shook those who gathered at the crime scene as undertakers removed the battered body of her daughter Ria on Saturday night.
Although she walked away from an abusive lover a year ago, there was no escape for Ria who was believed to be knifed and bludgeoned to death by the male relative.
Her family believes that the same relative is responsible for her death but police confirmed yesterday that they had no suspect in custody.
Indarsingh, 41, of Maharaj Street, was the twin sister of Rona Indarsingh — whose son Daniel Guerra, eight, was found murdered in a drain along the Tarouba Link Road, San Fernando in 2011.
Reports stated that Indarsingh was supposed to pick up her two children at C3 Centre, Ste Madeleine where they had gone to see a movie. When she did not show up, they contacted the male relative who took them home.
On reaching home around 8 pm, they found her bloodied bloody lying on the floor on the upper story.
Gasparillo police and the Homicide Bureau of the Investigations, Region III responded and they believed that she was beaten and stabbed in the head.
As Indarsingh sat on a chair outside Ria's home, she cried out to God for retribution, saying that someone had taken away her "flesh and blood." She said it was only ago hours before that Ria came to her house and had lunch.
"I don't know who did this, but there is a God. What goes around, comes around and you will pay for this boy. Lord Jesus, I will see that you pay for it. In Jesus name I am telling you, they will pay for what they did my child," Indarsingh yelled.
There was a hush in the community as those around the scene were almost frozen in shock.
For one elderly resident, his emotion was anger.
"She was a good mother. All of us know her. She was a very nice person," he said before storming off.
The pain of the Indarsingh family was reminiscent of six years ago when Guerra was found dead on the embankment of a drain.
Three days before, he had left his home on Beddau Street, Gasparillo to purchase energy drinks at a nearby shop, but he never returned.
Controversy surrounded Guerra's death as an autopsy by pathologist Dr Eslyn McDonald-Burris showed that he had drowned. However, another autopsy by professor James Gill a stated that he suffered homicidal asphyxia.
Police officer Darwin Ghouralal, a friend of Daniel's mother was subsequently charged with his murder, but two and a half years later, Ghouralal would walk free as the prosecution did not present sufficient evidence against him. The State applied for a judge's warrant for Ghouralal, which was granted. However, he has not been seen since and police believe he left the country.