Tobago Correspondent
The Parlatuvier community is in shock after a mother and her two children were found dead at the bottom of a decommissioned Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA) reservoir.
Days before Sarah Smith and children Genuine, three, and one-year-old Phoenix, were found dead, the mother was reportedly pleading for help.
However, close friend Isha Martin said yesterday that no one listened when Smith had a mental breakdown and started wandering the streets. She believes Smith’s death was due to spiritual wickedness.
“This is not natural at all. The whole thing is not natural, and I’m so hurt to see that the people who actually watched her walk down that road naked with her children didn’t stop her. Come on, what kind of community is this?”
Before the incident, Smith, originally from Trinidad, moved to Parlatuvier for a better life with her children.
“This is not Sarah. She is a strong Black woman who would not take her children’s lives. This is not Sarah. I will not accept that she did this on her own. Those children were her life.”
Martin said police took Smith’s former business partner in for questioning on Wednesday. During the interrogation, however, they noticed a foul smell.
“The police stopped, started searching, and immediately found them,” she said.
Smith’s mother, Jacqueline Wayne, is devastated by the killings.
“This is a horrible time for me. I can’t deal with anything right now … I came up here to find my daughter and grandson alive, not dead,” Wayne said on Wednesday
Smith was last seen on September 2, behaving erratically as she walked through the community.
The discovery of their bodies was a devastating end after a three-hour search, leaving relatives and friends shattered and a community in disbelief.
Hours after the discovery, a work crew called to the site cut through the bottom of the 40-foot tank to gain access to the bodies. The bodies were then removed to the Scarborough General Hospital Mortuary for autopsies to be performed.
Police officers said there was no mark of violence on the bodies.
Yesterday, residents, while still reeling in shock, said they hoped the incident doesn’t change how the community is perceived.
Resident Akeem St Bryce told the media, “It’s record-breaking. This side of the island has always been about peace and love. These young kids didn’t even have a chance.”
Another resident, Kenrick Clarke, said he’s uneasy.
“It’s tragic right now. I have kids, and it’s really tragic.”
Smith’s former business partner said she wasn’t the same after their business deal went sour.
A man who only identified himself as Phillips, said, “A lady told me that somebody saw her in the road getting on crazy, naked, with the baby. I don’t feel good. It’s my friend, and I’m crying all now.”
Chief Secretary Farley Augustine said the incident was unsettling and urged communities to look out for each other.
