Murdered newspaper vendor, Jacqueline George’s throat was slit, an autopsy confirmed yesterday. Her reputed husband, the main suspect, remains on the run.

Jacqueline George

Police said in a statement that a PME done yesterday by Pathologist Dr Nehaul Singh, established that the cause of George’s death as “an incised wound to the neck”. George’s body was found among the debris of her ‘E’ Field, Sophia home, which was destroyed by fire on Sunday.

While police continue their investigations, Sharon George, the daughter of the murdered woman, said the lawmen have not apprehended her mother’s reputed husband as yet. She said he was from Timehri and they had received information that he was there yesterday and alerted the police.

The bound body of George, 57, was pulled from the charred ruins of her Sophia home early Sunday morning. Her reputed husband was reportedly seen leaving the home just before the blaze. Several times before, he had threatened to kill George, relatives had told this newspaper.

Police had said that around 2:50 am on Sunday, a fire of undetermined origin destroyed George’s wooden home. Neighbours saw the building ablaze and raised an alarm which led to units from the Guyana Fire Service responding and extinguishing the fire. George’s body was subsequently found among the debris. Relatives believe that that after tying her hands behind her back and slitting her throat, George’s reputed husband set the house afire and fled.

George and the man lived together for over three years and fought at times, relatives said. On one occasion, George was cut and required stitches but she asked that the matter be dropped. Relatives believe she was killed because she wanted to take the man’s name off the lot’s transport and wanted to sell her stall at Stabroek Market, where she sold newspapers for over 30 years.