(Trinidad Guardian) Relatives of Roumelda ‘Twinkle” King said on Wednesday she suffered a life of abuse at the hands of the man who took her life.
King, 51, was chopped to death by her husband Hilton Gordon King, 55, while on her job site at Moriah yesterday morning.
The T&T Guardian understands that around 7.55 am, Roumelda, a worker with the Unemployment Relief Programmer (URP), was at her jobsite when her husband allegedly walked up to her in full view of her co-workers and started chopping her about her body with a cutlass. He later threw her over an embankment in some bushes and left the scene. He was later found dead in the bedroom of his house. A poisonous liquid was found close the body. Police believe he may have committed suicide.
Assistant Commissioner of Police Garfield Moore told reporters in Tobago yesterday that King had made several reports about her abuse and also had a protection order against her husband. He said the couple was also separated for some time.
Adding he believed the outcome could have been avoided, Moore said: “She would have made several reports, in fact there was a protection order from the court. We are saddened by the incident and we just want to send condolences to the family of both parties, because these are things that sometimes it happens and we can avoid these things.
“Maybe if we talk to one another and I am hoping the public itself would have known of these incidents, could send the information to us, that we can have some intervention methods to really prevent these things from happening.”
The T&T Guardian understands that the couple recently separated and Mrs King had moved out of the matrimonial home at Congo Hill, Moriah, last week.
The motive behind the killing is yet to be ascertained. However, friend of the couple, Wayne Bovell, said he was unaware they were facing marital problems
“Teeth and tongue does meet, but God never give a man what he can’t bear, but at the same time God doesn’t permit a man to take another man’s life. This outcome really baffled me,” Bovell told the T&T Guardian.
“I cried because me and he go deep, everybody knew what was going on I telling you the honest truth, no I didn’t pick up any signs. If I did only pick up any signs I would have told him come let us go up the road we were really close and it hurt me.”
Speaking to the media about the incident after visiting the scene to offer comfort to relatives, Assemblyman Sheldon Cunningham urged people to remain alert and be empathetic when violent domestic situations occur.
“When there are serious issues we label people so much on the outside, because we don’t know what happened on the inside. Let us empathise with people, because people try to share their stories, but they don’t know who to share them to and sometimes you share them with people and you are not too sure what is going to be the result and as you can see the results of today, that he was able to take his wife’s life and his life,” he said.
Cunningham reminded that the Mediation Centre, medical, psychological and community social workers under the Division of Health Wellness and Family Development were available free of charge to resolve issues before going to the open court.
King was the second women attacked and killed so far this week. On Monday, Elizabeth Lewis was found nude and dead on her bed with her hands tied at her Old Valencia Road, Valencia home. It was initially thought that her throat slit, but an autopsy revealed she was raped and strangled, with the killer/s using her own dress as the weapon.
The murder toll for the year now stands at 280.
Hilton and Roumelda King pose for a photo at a social event.
