Blankenburg mother knifed to death

A Blankenburg, West Coast Demerara businesswoman was found knifed to death in her home yesterday and police are seeking her husband for questioning.

Rushelle Rodney, 32, was found with her neck and both wrists slit and also several stab wounds to her back, stomach and chest. One of her two children made the discovery around midday at their Lot 72 Boodhoo Housing Scheme, Blankenburg, West Coast Demerara home.

Rushelle Rodney

The dead woman’s husband is currently being sought by the police after he reportedly fled from the scene of the murder with a child who is known to the family. After several anxious hours, the child subsequently returned in a taxi.

Stabroek News understands that the couple was engaged in an argument, during which the woman locked the man out of the house. After continuous knocking and pleading, she opened the door and the man ran in. It is believed that once inside, the man used a knife to cut her throat. It was reported that her attacker used several knives.

According to a police press release issued yesterday afternoon, the woman’s body was found in the kitchen of the house and three blood-stained knives were found at the scene.

The man made his escape in vehicle PNN 9420 with a six-year-old boy. The child arrived safely at the home of relatives about three hours later.

The woman’s 11-year-old son found his mother lying in a pool of blood when he went home from school to have his lunch, a relative indicated.

Acting on information received, police ranks in all Divisions were alerted and the vehicle was found abandoned on the public road at Carlton Hall, Mahaicony, on the East Coast of Demerara. According to Rushelle’s adopted brother, Lionel Crandon, he noticed the vehicle as it sped past Coverden, East Bank Demerara around 11am and found this to be unusual as the accused was not known to drive at such a fast pace.

“I coming fuh bring a news fuh tell he mother-in-law, call he and tell he somebody driving he car wild pon de road…I never see he driving so fast… and I end up getting a news,” the man stated.

He said that the couple had been married for two years and had what appeared to be a good relationship although like every couple they experienced a few occasional hiccups. “Those two people had a wonderful marriage… these people de living like president, you gotta talk to guards when you go in deh… you can’t walk in as you like,” he added.

The woman is survived by a sister and her two children, who are 11 and 14. Rushelle is the third woman to have been murdered since the beginning of the year – all on the West Demerara.

Bebe Jahooral Banu’s body was found on New Year’s Day at her Lot 5A De Willem North, West Coast Demerara bottom flat apartment, with her stockings, pants and underwear pulled below her knees, her top pulled up to her shoulders and a piece of cloth around her neck. A post mortem examination revealed that Banu, 66, died of manual strangulation.

Also, on Sunday last, the nude body of Afrozie ‘Lizzie’ Ali, 40, was discovered at the Zeelugt Cemetery and it is suspected that she was strangled after being attacked by a homeless man known to many in the village.

No one has been charged in connection with either murder.