3-month-old baby girl found dead
By
Alexander Bruzual and Carla Bridglal
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DEATH HOUSE: The house at Sea Lots,
Port of Spain, where
baby Akiela Gill was found dead.
—Photo: AYANNA KINSALE
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A Sea
Lots family has been plunged into mourning after the lifeless body of a
three-month-old baby girl was discovered at the home of a close male
relative yesterday morning.
The officers found the 27-year-old mother of four standing outside her residence, a small one-bedroom dwelling, crying, “Meh child dead! Meh child dead!” They disembarked from their vehicles and followed the woman inside and soon discovered baby Akiela’s body lying on her back on a bed in a bedroom of the home.
Following protocol, the officers contacted the Emergency Health Services (EHS), as well as senior officials in the Port of Spain Division and the Homicide Bureau of Investigation, and a party of officers including Inspector Singh, Sgt Harry and PC Huggins visited the scene. Officials from the Armstrong’s funeral home arrived shortly thereafter.
Police sources noted that some time later, the EHS responders arrived and checked for signs of life on the child. Upon failing to find any, they contacted the District Medical Officer who eventually ordered that the child’s body be put in cold storage until an autopsy could be performed at the Forensic Science Centre in St James on Tuesday.
The 27-year-old woman reportedly told police that she had left her Sea Lots home at about 11 p.m. on Thursday after a disagreement with the male relative. She said that she needed to “clear her head” after the incident, and left her three-month child in the care of her 11-year-old son at her father’s home. When she returned at about 4 a.m. she could not find her daughter, and upon waking up her son, she was told that the male relative had visited the home during the night and taken the child.
The mother of four made her way to the nearby residence of the male relative, and when she opened the door to the home, she observed her daughter completely covered by the man’s shoulder. She woke him up, and they both observed that the toddler had been frothing at the mouth and as a result, they both called the E999 services.
The male relative, police said, remained at the home in a state of shock, and made no attempt to flee the scene. The officers eventually took the mother, as well as the male relative, to the offices of the Homicide Bureau at Riverside Plaza, and Sackville Street, Port of Spain.
Police sources said it was expected that the two will be detained overnight, assisting with inquiries. A file on the incident is already being compiled and when completed, it is expected to be sent to Director of Public Prosecutions Roger Gaspard to determine what charges, if any, should be laid in this matter.
Police sources also said that, up to press time, two of the 27-year-old woman’s four children, the 11-year-old boy and her three-year-old son, had been removed from the home in a bid to keep them safe. They said that her second oldest child, a seven-year-old boy, was at another relative’s at the time, and up to late yesterday, he had not been brought into the care of the State.
When Express visited the scene yesterday afternoon, baby Akiela’s aunt Nikeisha Manswell, said that she was told that the 36-year-old male relative had taken the child from her mother’s home without permission. She said that the 36-year-old man and Akiela’s mother were having “frequent arguments” which led to baby Akiela’s mother leaving her home on Thursday night.
She said the family was taking the death with a heavy heart because baby Akiela was expected to be christened on May 4, and instead of a celebration of life, the family was forced to plan a funeral.
Manswell also wanted to stress that baby Akiela’s mother did not often leave her children at home unsupervised, but that night she had to get away from the “stress” that she was under.
“She loved her children. It was just that she was afraid of that man. She left the children home because she could not take it, and that is the only reason,” Manswell said.
Besson Street police are continuing investigations.
Akiela’s death follows those of ten-month old Omari “Buba” Mayers and his sister three-year-old Keanna “Keke” Mayers, who were killed along Mora Trace, Matura, on Saturday night by their father, 33-year-old Barry Karamath. Karamath, after killing his children, then killed himself.
An autopsy on the bodies of the two toddlers confirmed that the children died as a result of asphyxia, however, blood and tissue samples have been sent for a toxicology screening to determine what exactly caused the asphyxia —whether the children were poisoned or smothered.
Investigations into that incident are also continuing.
Source: http://www.trinidadexpress.com/news/3-month-old-baby-girl-found-dead-255835861.html
BABY DIES
By NALINEE SEELAL and RACHAEL ESPINET Saturday, April 19 2014
LESS
than 24 hours after a mother tearfully buried her two murdered
children, another mother is now mourning the death of her
three-month-old baby girl, although both the mother and father of the
child are now in police custody.
Police
sources said they have two conflicting reports on the circumstances
surrounding the death of the baby and added that both parents of the
child could remain in custody over the long Easter weekend as
investigations are continuing.
One report made to the police is that the three-month-old baby girl and her three brothers aged two, six and 11, were left home unattended by her mother who had gone into Port-of-Spain to gamble on Thursday night.
When the woman returned home at about 4 am yesterday, she saw only her 11-year-old son at home and asked him for the other children. The boy told his mother that his father had arrived and taken away the other siblings to his house, located not too far away.
The woman is said to have gone to the home of the children’s father where she saw him asleep on a bed with the two sons and the baby girl. When she realised there was froth seeping from the baby’s mouth and that she appeared to be dead, the woman made a report to the Besson Street Police.
However, another report, is that when the father of the children — who separated from the mother two weeks ago — demanded sex from the mother and she refused, he took the children from her house and went back to his home.
At about 4 am yesterday, when the woman went to check on her children, she saw them in bed with their father. The man’s left shoulder was over the baby’s face and the baby appeared to be dead.
The second version of events, Newsday was told, was given by the woman to Constables Dale Mackoonsingh and Sean Warrick, both of the Guard and Emergency Branch, who were the first officers to arrive at the scene.
Homicide Investigations Bureau officers and District Medical Officer Dr Robert Naidika visited the scene and the body was ordered removed to the Forensic Science Centre in St James where an autopsy will be done next Tuesday.
Up to press time yesterday, police investigators were not sure if the baby’s death was a case of murder, negligence or natural causes, for example, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). Sources said they are hoping the autopsy will shed clear and conclusive light on cause of death which will determine the way investigations will go.
Both the baby’s mother and father were taken into custody and are said to be assisting investigators in the enquiry. Police sources said the other children are staying at the homes of other relatives.
When Newsday visited Sea Lots yesterday, the baby’s father’s house was locked tight and no one answered calls at the door. A female relative of the baby’s mother claimed that the child’s father was abusive to the mother, but never to any of his children. “It was not a good relationship. The father used to advantage her and call her names. She was frightened but he did not usually take the children,” the relative said.
The baby’s mother and father were together for eight years and the relationship ended two weeks ago when the mother went to police to report domestic abuse, the relative said. Following that, the mother moved out of the man’s house and moved back into her father’s home nearby.
“He used to beat her a lot. Whenever he drank, he would beat her. He was a disrespectful fella. He used to curse her as he ordered her to take care of his children,” the relative said.
The woman insisted that the first report of the children’s mother leaving the house to go into Port-of-Spain to gamble, was not true.
However, a resident who lives near to the detained woman’s home, claimed that the woman regularly left her children home alone and unattended. The resident claimed that at nights, some of the children could be heard crying. Investigations are continuing.
The death of the three-month-old baby girl came a few hours after Okilia Mayers bade a tearful farewell to her daughter Keanna and son Omari, following a funeral service in San Juan. Both Keanna, two, and 11-month-old Omari, were murdered by their father Barry Karamath on April 12. Karamath later committed suicide.
One report made to the police is that the three-month-old baby girl and her three brothers aged two, six and 11, were left home unattended by her mother who had gone into Port-of-Spain to gamble on Thursday night.
When the woman returned home at about 4 am yesterday, she saw only her 11-year-old son at home and asked him for the other children. The boy told his mother that his father had arrived and taken away the other siblings to his house, located not too far away.
The woman is said to have gone to the home of the children’s father where she saw him asleep on a bed with the two sons and the baby girl. When she realised there was froth seeping from the baby’s mouth and that she appeared to be dead, the woman made a report to the Besson Street Police.
However, another report, is that when the father of the children — who separated from the mother two weeks ago — demanded sex from the mother and she refused, he took the children from her house and went back to his home.
At about 4 am yesterday, when the woman went to check on her children, she saw them in bed with their father. The man’s left shoulder was over the baby’s face and the baby appeared to be dead.
The second version of events, Newsday was told, was given by the woman to Constables Dale Mackoonsingh and Sean Warrick, both of the Guard and Emergency Branch, who were the first officers to arrive at the scene.
Homicide Investigations Bureau officers and District Medical Officer Dr Robert Naidika visited the scene and the body was ordered removed to the Forensic Science Centre in St James where an autopsy will be done next Tuesday.
Up to press time yesterday, police investigators were not sure if the baby’s death was a case of murder, negligence or natural causes, for example, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). Sources said they are hoping the autopsy will shed clear and conclusive light on cause of death which will determine the way investigations will go.
Both the baby’s mother and father were taken into custody and are said to be assisting investigators in the enquiry. Police sources said the other children are staying at the homes of other relatives.
When Newsday visited Sea Lots yesterday, the baby’s father’s house was locked tight and no one answered calls at the door. A female relative of the baby’s mother claimed that the child’s father was abusive to the mother, but never to any of his children. “It was not a good relationship. The father used to advantage her and call her names. She was frightened but he did not usually take the children,” the relative said.
The baby’s mother and father were together for eight years and the relationship ended two weeks ago when the mother went to police to report domestic abuse, the relative said. Following that, the mother moved out of the man’s house and moved back into her father’s home nearby.
“He used to beat her a lot. Whenever he drank, he would beat her. He was a disrespectful fella. He used to curse her as he ordered her to take care of his children,” the relative said.
The woman insisted that the first report of the children’s mother leaving the house to go into Port-of-Spain to gamble, was not true.
However, a resident who lives near to the detained woman’s home, claimed that the woman regularly left her children home alone and unattended. The resident claimed that at nights, some of the children could be heard crying. Investigations are continuing.
The death of the three-month-old baby girl came a few hours after Okilia Mayers bade a tearful farewell to her daughter Keanna and son Omari, following a funeral service in San Juan. Both Keanna, two, and 11-month-old Omari, were murdered by their father Barry Karamath on April 12. Karamath later committed suicide.
Cops hold relative for questioning as Sea Lots mourns for baby Akela
Published: Saturday, April 19, 2014
 |
| Akela Gibbs |
According to reports, around 4.10 am yesterday, PCs Mackoonsingh, Warwick and officers of the Guard and Emergency Branch responded to a call that a mother had found her child lifeless in a bed at a relative’s home. When the officers arrived they found the child frothing from the mouth and immediately notified EHS, who also responded.
Police said the mother, Nicole Manswell, told them she went to a party with a relative. When she returned home she said the relative had propositioned her for sex and she replied negatively. Manswell told police the relative then took their two children and went to his house. It is alleged that when she went for the children an hour later she noticed the relative’s hand over the baby’s mouth, police said.
Poor parental skills
In an interview at another relative’s house yesterday in Sea Lots, family members criticised the relative’s parental qualities. “The baby was good last night. She was playing and laughing,” she said. “The mother went and play wapee when he take the children because she need money to mind the child. “I told her go and check on the child and later somebody come and tell me the child dead. When I went the child had froth coming from her nose and mouth.”
The relative admitted, however, that it was possible the relative fell asleep because he was inebriated and his arm may have covered the child “and he did not know what he was doing.” She said Akela was going to be christened on May 4.
Conflicting stories
Investigators said yesterday it was possible the suspect could have rolled on the baby while she was asleep. However, investigators said there were “contrary” statements made concerning the child’s death. A post-mortem will be conducted on baby Akela at the Forensic Science Centre, Federation Park, St James, on Monday. This latest incident comes five days after Barry Karamath, 34, poisoned his two-year old daughter Ke’anna Mayers and 10-month old son Omari Mayers and killed himself at Mora Trace.
Source: http://www.guardian.co.tt/news/2014-04-19/cops-hold-relative-questioning-sea-lots-mourns-baby-akela
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