Woman’s brutal rape,murder rocks Matthew’s Ridge

THE normally quiet, close-knit community of Matthews Ridge, North West District (NWD) in Region One (Barima/Waini), went into shock and grief on Tuesday, following the brutal murder of a resident, Samantha Ashby.

Reports from the remote community said that the battered and nude body of the mother of one was spotted by schoolchildren, who had showed up at the Pakera Centre Ground to practise for upcoming school sports.
The news was relayed to teachers, who informed the police, after which a large crowd had gathered to get a glimpse of the woman’s body.
It was reported by residents that the body was lying in plain sight in the nude while her clothes were found nearby.
Villagers told this publication that it appeared as though the woman was the victim of a brutal gang rape, since condoms were observed protruding from her anus and a bottle had been inserted into her private part.
It was said to be the work of more than one person, who apparently lured the woman to the spot in a drunken state after which she was killed.
Ashby, 32, had been seen in a shop in the village on Monday night drinking with a group of men, who are said to be miners, after which her whereabouts were unknown.
According to reports, she frequented the mining areas in Region One, where she would spend sometime before venturing back into the village and was in the habit of visiting bars and shops in the community where she drank heavily.
Ashby had resided with several relatives including her grandfather, an uncle and her teenaged son in Pakera.
One resident said: “Even though she was “A lady of the night,” she did not deserve to endure such a horrible death.”
Villagers said that they have never experienced such an incident before and called on the police to find the person (s) responsible for such a gruesome murder.
Although the murder took place in an open field, no one reportedly heard any screams or saw anything amiss and assumed that it had happened in the wee hours of Tuesday morning.
The body bore marks of violence and it was reported that she might have been strangled. The body was taken to the Port Kaituma mortuary, where it is awaiting a post-mortem.
It was reported that a man who was said to be drinking in the shop the woman was at on Monday night, was taken into custody for questioning yesterday.
Police said the woman’s body was found in a clump of bushes at Matthews Ridge, NWD, at about 10:45hrs on Tuesday.
Investigations are in progress.

(By Michel Outridge)

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