Girl, 9, sees Mother murdered after stalking

Killed As She Slept

Isha Hosein

Hours after enjoying Mother's Day with her two children and other relatives, Isha Hosein, 40, was dead - beaten and stabbed as she lay on a bed sleeping next to her nine-year old daughter Shenelle, at their South Oropouche home, yesterday morning.

Hosein's murder rocked the sleepy rural community of Naranjit Trace in south Oropouche, the second tragedy to affet a family after the fatal firebomb attack in Barataria last Sunday, in which a family of five, including two children, were killed.

Shenelle was said to be in a traumatised state after being awakened by the sound of a man stabbing and beating her mother.

While crime scene officers, in white forensic grab, walked in and out of the house yesterday as they searched for clues, Hosein's shocked relatives and neighbours stood nearby and looked on.

The murdered woman's relatives said Shenelle was too distraught to speak. Relatives said Hosein was a hunted woman after ending a 14-year relationship.

Her brother-in-law Deochan Naranjit said the frightened woman had been staying at his home for the past two months with her two children, Shenelle and Janelle, 12. He said Hosein and her daughters spent Mother's Day at the home of Hosein's 65-year-old mother, Doris Samaroo, which is also located at Naranjit Trace. Jamelle ended up spending the night at Doris' home.

At about 5:40 am Monday Deochan and his wife left Hosein and Shenelle asleep in the house and went to tend to a garden located nearby.

"About 20 minutes later, screams were heard and another relative came running over to tell us that Isha (Hosein) was murdered," Deochan said.

Isha's brother Ashram Samaroo, who lives next door to Deochan, said his wife heard Shenelle's screams for help and ran toward the house to see what was going on.

"Come and see, come and see ... my mummy dead and lying on the floor, " Shenelle tolad Ashram's shocked wife. At this time, Doris arrived and went into Deochan's house only to be confronted by a man holding a blood-stained knife. Deochan told Newsday that the man told Doris, "like you want to die too !" He then jumped through the bedroom window and escaped in some bushes nearby.

A report was made to the Oropouche Police Station and officers promptly arrived and carried out a search for the killer who up to press timeremained at large. However, relatives had harsh words for the Oropouche police saying that no less than 25 reports were made about the abuse Hosein suffered.

"She had obtained several restraining orders from the courts. But this was not sufficient and in the end she was hunted down and killed, " Hosein's sister Anita said.

Anita said a man had earlier called her mobile phone saying he intended to, "wipe out myself, my husband and my brother."

She also claimed the man had been hiding nearby, "waiting for the opportunity to attack us."

Hosein's body was removed from the crime scene to the Forensic Science Centre in St. James .