May 27, 2016 Source

A Guyanese woman and her 10-year-old daughter were found dead in neighbouring Suriname on Tuesday.

The deceased have been identified as Leelawattie Sookhoo, 37, and her daughter, Tisha Ahtram, of Nieuw Amsterdam, a village in District Commewijne, Suriname and formerly of Sparta, Essequibo Coast, Guyana. Sookhoo was a mother of five.

Numerous calls made to police to enquire if local lawmen are playing a part in the investigation were unsuccessful.

According to an Antigua Observer report, the mother and daughter were found strangled at their Nieuw Amsterdam apartment.

They news site quoted a Surinamese police release, which said lawmen were directed to the building after the employer of the woman’s boyfriend reported that he failed to turn up for work. The police said that it appeared that a rope had been used to strangle the women.

The whereabouts of the boyfriend was unknown until he reportedly returned from sea and learned of the double murder.

A relative of Sookhoo’s former in-laws told Stabroek News via phone that they became aware of the tragedy subsequent to a phone call from Sookhoo’s boyfriend, who is also a Guyanese.

The relative, who asked not to be named, said Sookhoo had been living in Suriname for several years and had been partnering with her boyfriend in a fishing business.

An aunt of the woman, Radica, told Stabroek News that after Sookhoo separated from her former partner, she moved to Suriname with her daughter and started a new life with her boyfriend.

The last time the woman was seen by her relatives was during Christmas last year. Radica added that she had been in contact with the boyfriend, who asked if the family would be attending the final rites. She said they would not be able to attend due to other commitments.