(Trinidad Guardian) A close male relative is in police custody for the murder of 24-year-old Dolmati Mangroo who was found hacked to death on Thursday afternoon by relatives.
“They went to feed the pigs and they saw a big pool of dry blood on the floor,” one relative said.
“They went inside where they found her body, the blood was already dry on her,” the relative continued.
Guardian Media visited Mangroo’s St Helena home on Friday and one relative told us that the body bore several chop marks, a sight the family described as too much to bear.
“I don’t know how my mother will cope,” the relative said.
“Her neck was slashed and she was missing fingers like she tried to brakes the chop,” the relative continued.
Mangroo’s body was found at her boyfriend’s Damien Drive Santa Monica Trace home on Thursday, however, she did not live there.
The 24-year-old lived with her parents some streets away at Misty Drive on the same Trace.
However, the relative believes that Mangroo’s death was premeditated and they suspect that may have been abused although she never showed any signs.
“The day before he sold all his pigs, is like he knew what he was going to do,” the relative told Guardian Media.
The family member said that the Mangroo’s close male relative of one year was an alcoholic and she was helping him turn his life around.
“When she met him he was homeless,” the relative said.
“They would go to church every week together,” the relative continued.
The family member said it seemed like Mangroo’s male relative was having a relapse and the victim gave him an ultimatum.
“She told him that if he continues they will not be able to work,” the family member told Guardian Media.
However, Mangroo’s last message to a family member via Whatsapp gave the impression that something was wrong even though she did not admit it.
“I messaged her about 4 am not expecting her to respond but she did, I asked her why she was up so early and what happened, she replied nothing, “the relative said.
The family member said they got the news of Mangroo’s death later that day.
“I feel like I’m living in a nightmare,” the relative said.
Now one resident of the area said she saw Mangroo and her male relative walk out the road for her to get a taxi for work, however, she did not see her return and questioned how her body got back at the house.
The resident described the young man as quiet however there was one incident where the resident claimed he became drunk and violent.
“One time he fell out with some men and he was drunk and wanted to kill them, I told him to forget that but he said he has nothing to live for,” the resident said.
Her family described Mangroo as an ambitious young woman who wanted to be a nail technician.
“She was the baby of the family, I can’t believe that this is real,” the relative said.
According to the International Women’s Resource Network, approximately 30 women have been killed by close relatives for 2019.
