A Corentyne man yesterday confessed to investigators in Region Six that he killed his ex-wife after he overheard her on the phone with her new partner, the Guyana Police Force has said.
The man, Avemanen Permaul, and the ex-wife, Waynumattie Permaul, who are the parents of cricketer Veerasammy Permaul, both resided at Lot 33 Block 1 Kilcoy/Chesney, Corentyne, despite separating two years ago.
The body of Waynumattie, also known as ‘Dataley’, 53, was found in a shallow grave dug in an empty lot located two houses away from where she resided around 01:45 hrs yesterday.
Waynumattie had been together with her now former husband, Avemanen, a labourer also known as ‘Terry’, 55, for 38 years and they had four children before separating.
According to information gathered by this newspaper, the woman’s son, cricketer Veerasammy Permaul, reported to the police that his mother had been missing since Thursday, April 21. He told investigators that it was strange for his mother to leave home without informing any of her children.
Police then launched an investigation and visited the woman’s residence, where they discovered what appeared to be bloodstains on the tiles inside of the lower flat in front of the front door, in the bedroom on the floor between the tiles, and on the outer part of her bed.
The elderly Permaul was then placed into custody after police became suspicious about the fact that he had failed to report the woman missing although he resided at the location. The woman’s son had also told investigators that she was involved in a relationship with another man for about nine months now and this also made the family suspicious about her sudden disappearance.
However, it was during questioning on Thursday night that police say Avemanen cracked and confessed to investigators that he murdered the woman after overhearing her on the phone with her new partner.
According to him, on April 21, around 18:30 hrs, he was in the yard close to the woman’s bedroom when he heard her talking on her cellular phone. He claimed that he heard the woman asking the person on the phone “you want me on top or you want to come on top of me.”
As a result, he said confronted the woman in the bedroom and they began to argue.
He told investigators that he cuffed the woman repeatedly about her body and then choked her. She then fell to the floor and he noticed blood about her body and that she was motionless.
In a panic, the man claimed that he wrapped the woman in a bedsheet and left it on the floor after which he walked over to the empty lot in the street, where he dug a grave. He then returned home, from where he then dragged the woman’s body to the hole and placed it inside after which he covered it with dirt.
Avemanen then returned home and went about his business, claiming to have no idea as to where the woman was when asked.
Meanwhile, Veerasammy and several other relatives yesterday told Stabroek News that they could not speak with the media at this time given the situation. However, neighbours described the couple as “quiet,” while noting that the killing was something they would have never expected. “When you know people and you ain’t expect anything like this, you don’t really look out for anything. We see the man but we never expect this,” one woman noted.
According to several residents of the area, they did not hear anything and were not even unaware that the woman was missing. Describing the woman as a kind person, neighbours noted that they just thought she was indoors when they did not see her for several days since according to them she was seldom outside. “If you pass and she outside, we would talk and that’s it. Only when she going out then you would mostly see her,” one neighbor explained.
Another neighbour said she only became aware of the woman’s disappearance when police arrived at the empty lot on Thursday evening and began searching. She said, after searching the police left and returned with Avemanen, who eventually led them to the woman’s body. “We na smell nothing or so. When they bring out the body, then we smell it and that was it.”
The body was taken to the Port Mourant Hospital, where the woman was officially pronounced dead. Her body was then taken to the mortuary to await a post-mortem examination.
