– man arrested as Police probe

Government Pathologist Dr Nehaul Singh has confirmed that the woman who was found in her Hopetown Village, West Coast Berbice did not die of hypertension but was murdered.

The body of Vaulda Britton, 78, also called “Auntie Vaulda” was discovered in her home on Sunday and initially relatives believed she died as a result of her struggle with hypertension.

However, on Thursday a post mortem examination revealed she died from asphyxiation due to manual strangulation. Relatives told this newspaper the elderly woman lives alone but her great nephew stayed with her for a few nights prior to her death.

Vaulda Britton

According to the dead woman’s son, Randolph Britton, a Rural Constable, he received information of his mother’s demise on Sunday morning and travelled to Berbice and soon discovered the matter needed to be investigated. Britton said when he arrived at his mother’s home he was told the Police had not visited the house.

“I requested to go with a Police to see the body. So when we reach the mortuary and they open up the body I see a bruise on her nose and her cheek and her temple black and blue. So I show the Police it and told him that somebody can’t fall down and get all these marks. Then I see he take out his phone and start take some pictures,” the grieving son said.

The dead woman’s son told this newspaper that on Saturday his mother’s nephew related that he did not like how his aunty was looking and he would go spend the night with her. An eight-year-old granddaughter of the dead woman accompanied the nephew to spend the night at Britton’s house.

This newspaper was told that sometime during the night the eight-year-old woke up and did not see her grandmother lying next to her. The child reportedly told family that after she did not see her grandmother, she started to cry and her grandmother’s nephew came into the room where she was and scolded her for crying. She also related to family that her grandmother’s nephew was naked when he entered the room, but no one took her seriously.

According to reports, on Sunday morning the dead woman’s nephew told relatives to check on her since she was motionless. Relatives subsequently discovered the woman’s body, but thought she had died from hypertension.

However, on Monday, the very nephew grabbed his grandmother and threatened to rape her if she did not give him $10,000. This was reported to the Police and he was arrested. It was not until his arrest that relatives begun suspecting that he may have had a hand in his aunt’s death. It was then that the Police questioned the eight-year-old granddaughter and she related what occurred at her grandmother’s house on Saturday night.

Police have since confirmed that the woman’s nephew known as “Two Kick” will be charged for murder. He was recently released from prison having served a four-year sentence for larceny. Britton leaves to mourn eight children.