By Michel Outridge
A pall of gloom enveloped the farming community of Morasi, East Bank Essequibo yesterday as they bade farewell to 19-year-old Naomi Singh whose mutilated body was found in a drain at the back of her yard on Friday night.

Naomixs parents and siblings were overwhelmed by grief as they viewed her remains at their residence during an emotional funeral service.

Naomi Singh was interred at the Parika Cemetery.

Police on Monday said that a post mortem found the cause of death to be shock and haemorrhage due to a wound on the neck.

Relatives told the Guyana Chronicle that body samples were extracted to be shipped for tests in Trinidad and will released in two weeks.

The suspect, an employee of the Singhs, was apprehended at Parika Backdam by the police on Sunday afternoon after a tip off.

He is married with a child and was secretly in love with Naomi, 19.

On Friday the 26-year-old suspect saw Naomixs parents and siblings to the Parika Market and refused to assist in loading their produce . He took off saying he was heading to the nearby koker.

At the time, the suspect had a cutlass which was wrapped in a shirt.

Relatives told the Chronicle that the suspect never displayed his affection for Naomi and they were not even friends.

He lived with relatives about a quarter mile from the Singhs and had threatened them about a year ago.

A report was made at the Parika Police Station.

Naomixs family members found a $100 note next to a coconut tree which led them to believe that the suspect, after seeing the Singhs off, went under the pretext of making a purchase and seized the opportunity to attack the unsuspecting Naomi.

Relatives also said that the suspect also participated in the search for Naomi when an alarm was raised and left after a while when the police arrived.

xIt is very difficult for us to cope having lost Naomi and her death has really affected us; but we are desperately hoping that justice will prevail,x a relative said yesterday.

Morasi, a small desolate farming and riverain community on the Essequibo River, some 29 miles from Vreed-en-Hoop, has never before had a murder, villagers say.

In an interview on Saturday at Hubu, East Bank Essequibo, Naomixs father, Mohan Singh, 46, told the Chronicle that he returned home Friday evening after accompanying his wife, another daughter and his son to the road head at Hubu, East Bank Essequibo.

The grieving man said on arriving home he called to his daughter as customary but got no answer and soon after heard his cellular phone ringing.

He answered the phone and it was Naomixs boyfriend calling to speak with her after they had ended a telephone conversation about half hour before.

Mr. Singh added that he again called out to Naomi and got no response.

xI asked my workman who was with me to help me look for her; and when the search in and around the house proved futile, we alerted relatives, the neighbours and the police,x he explained.

The man said that they even took torch lights and ventured out into the neighbourhood to search for Naomi.

Mr. Singh said that Naomixs boyfriend joined the search and they soon found the body lying in a pool of blood at the back of the yard.

xI cannot say who would do such a thing because I live well with everyone and I have no nearby neighbours; my daughter was killed like a cow and left there,x he cried.

Mr. Singh said that his wife and children abandoned their trip to the market and returned home and were present when Naomixs body was discovered.
The pretty 19-year-old was expected to be married next month .