Vendor found dead in Golden Grove home -circumstances unclear

A 45-year-old clothing vendor was discovered dead in her Golden Grove, East Bank Demerara (EBD) home on Tuesday night. It is unclear how she met her demise.

Dead is Cecelia Dean of 441 Section A, Golden Grove, EBD. According to reports, police received a call and went to the scene where the woman’s body was discovered lying on the floor in the shack that she lived in. She lived alone. It is unclear how the woman died and police said that a post-mortem examination which was to have been done yesterday was not undertaken because no relative had come forward to officially identify the body.

Dean was reportedly last seen alive on Sunday while heading to church. When Stabroek News visited the community yesterday, persons who lived close to the home expressed shock at the incident.

The door to the one-room shack, where the woman had resided was open and what appeared to be bodily fluids were on the area where the woman’s body had apparently lain on the floor. Household items and what seemed to be personal documents were scattered haphazardly around the room.

While this newspaper was there, a man, who said that he was the woman’s cousin arrived and after learning that Dean had died expressed shock. He said that he was supposed to meet her at the Eccles Assemblies of God Church on Sunday but she never turned up. The man, who did not want to state his name, said that he had called the woman’s cellular phone but it was answered by a male voice. He attempted to call the number again yesterday but said it was turned off. He stated that all of Dean’s other relatives lived overseas.

Neighbours noted that the woman had oftentimes complained of being robbed. “She does always complain of people going and harass she”, one man said.

He stated that Dean complained of persons breaking into her home and stealing foodstuff and other items. He said that in the latter part of last year she had told him that she was robbed three times.

Another woman recalled that Dean had many times said that persons were threatening her. “She does seh that men does come deh, they does threaten she they gon rape she, kill she”, she declared. She said that she had often advised her to go and live with relatives.

Neighbours said that Dean always attended church on Sundays and she earned her daily bread by walking and selling clothing.