Senior Reporter
shane.superville@guardian.co.tt
The skeletal remains of an 18-year-old girl, whose body was buried seven years ago, were discovered in a shallow grave at the family home at Butu Road, South Valsayn, yesterday.
The bones of Hannah Mathura were reportedly exhumed from the family’s home. Police said the backyard of the family’s home may have been Mathura’s final resting place as they recovered human bones believed to be hers.
Police said officers of the St Joseph Police Station were called to the Valsayn South home on Sunday by a relative who reported that Mathura’s body was buried in a shallow grave in the yard.
However, a male relative ran out of the house before officers arrived and remained at large up to yesterday evening. Four siblings between the ages of 17 to 24 were found at the home. However, neighbours said that over the years about eight children were living at the home.
The officers, accompanied by their colleagues from the Homicide Bureau of Investigations Region II, visited the scene on Tuesday with an excavator from the Tunapuna/Piarco Regional Corporation where they made the grisly discovery.
Mathura has been reportedly buried since 2017.
Sources said the remains were clad in what appeared to be a tube top, a pair of red pants and underwear.
When Guardian Media visited the scene yesterday afternoon, one neighbour described the situation as “the plot of a Hollywood movie,” and said while the circumstances were bizarre, it was not necessarily surprising, noting the “eccentric behaviour” of the family.
One neighbour who asked not to be named said he was a “lifelong resident” of Butu Road and was accustomed to hearing loud arguments.
Recalling hearing a commotion as early as Sunday, mere minutes before the police were called, the man said it did not arouse his suspicions as such arguments were relatively common.
“Since I was growing up here the behaviour of the people in that house has been strange. When the children would go to school, the car would park right in front of the front door and a tarp would be held up to block the children as they went into the vehicle.
“There is even a portion of the house where there doesn’t seem to be any electricity and at night we would see lights being moved around like flashlights.”
The neighbour said he never had any interactions with Mathura or any of the children who lived at the house, admitting that many residents on Butu Road kept to themselves.
“It’s a strange situation, really. We know there were about eight children at the home but when we stopped seeing her we really didn’t think much of it.”
Pointing to the sprawling compound, he said the eccentricities of the family were known among residents.
“People just kept to themselves here. Sometimes you may see one or two of the children outside but this was something we didn’t expect.
“This is horrible because it literally happened right under our noses.”
Divisional police were still cross-referencing reports with the Anti-Kidnapping Squad to determine if Mathura was ever reported missing to police.
While at the scene, undertakers were seen removing a body bag containing the skeletal remains in the back of their van as curious neighbours looked on from behind the walls of their homes.
Contacted for comment, the head of the North-Central Division Snr Supt Richard Smith said while inquiries are ongoing, the remains are strongly believed to be those of Mathura.
He acknowledged the strange circumstances surrounding the discovery of the remains, adding that now more than ever crimes must be brought to light.
“This is a perfect example of what can happen if we keep things to ourselves and withhold information. I’m asking the public to be their brother’s keeper.
“We have neighbours living next to each other and they don’t even say hello. We have neighbours living near each other and they haven’t seen each other in months, how can that be?”
Smith said while relatives at the house were assisting police with their investigation, he was reluctant to confirm if anyone was arrested. Four of the siblings were in police custody at the Arouca station yesterday where they were being questioned.
As the sun set in the neighbourhood, police continued their inquiries by interviewing neighbours as curious residents from other streets, on hearing of the incident, walked up to the house to see the location.