Alana Mathura, the mother of teenager Hannah Mathura, has died 17 days after being incarcerated in connection with her child’s death.
Alana, 63, was charged alongside her husband, Andrew, with murdering Hannah, 18, at their Valsayn property seven years ago.
According to police, Alana was taken to the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex in Mt Hope on Thursday night and died early yesterday morning.
Police said yesterday that since Alana was remanded in custody, she had refused to eat and fell ill as a result.
After the news broke, some people took to social media to celebrate her death.
However, one of her sons yesterday said she loved all her children.
Speaking briefly with Guardian Media, Jeremiah Mathura said the death of his mother was painful and the negative comments on social media were vexing.
Asked about the life of his mother, Jeremiah said, “My mother was quiet, and she loved Hannah, that is all I will say. Regardless of if that will contradict the narrative, she was quiet and she loved all her children.”
On October 15, Alana and husband Andrew, 66, were charged with murdering their daughter on a date unknown between July 8, 2017, when she was last seen alive, and March 13, this year, a day after her skeletal remains were unearthed in the backyard of the family’s Butu Road, Valsayn home.
Hannah’s bones were excavated from the backyard of their home on March 12. Information given to the police by a family member was that Hannah died and was buried in the backyard some time in June 2017.
Her parents were arrested shortly after her remains were found but later released pending further inquiries, before they were rearrested last month and subsequently charged.
DNA tests done on the bone marrow and biological tissue-like cartilage remaining from decomposed skeletal remains were cross-referenced with Hannah’s siblings to confirm that they were related.
Contacted yesterday, Andrew Mathura’s attorney Tahira Davis Gibson-Sobers said her client will be devastated by the news.
“I know the news will truly sadden him. I suspect he will be devastated by the news, although I do not know if he has been informed. In our discussions, he has shown concern for his wife and her well-being so I know he will be devastated by the news.”
Gibson-Sobers said her client and his wife were remanded in custody as they awaited full disclosure from the State before applications for bail were made. The couple were scheduled to return to court for a sufficiency hearing on April 1, 2026.
