Six years ago, Nkofi Simon, was just 15 months old, when he was left locked in a bedroom, while his parents’ decomposing bodies were in a nearby room at their Lot 8 Middle Walk, Church of God Road North, Buxton, East Coast Demerara.
Today he is an average child, when the Sunday Chronicle visited his grandmother’s home; he was observed playing in the yard. Nkofi Simon lives with his grandmother, Joy Joseph, 50, also from Buxton and seems quite contended.
She told the Sunday Chronicle that, the Lot 8 Middle Walk cottage, where her daughter and her reputed husband once lived has since been moved to another location.
The woman added that, following her daughter’s death her husband, James Joseph, suffered a heart ailment and succumbed two years after.
She noted that, they do not talk much in the home about the incident because they think it would be better if Nkofi did not know the details of his parents’ demise at such a young age.
Ms. Joseph told the Sunday Chronicle she would tell him when he is older but told him that, his parents died and even showed him his mother’s grave whenever they go to church services at Friendship Anglican Church, which is located a short distance away.
Sadly, though, his father’s parent never saw him and has never tried to.
She pointed out that, Nkofi is a normal child and asks a lot of questions but when, he reaches the age of adulthood he will get to know the circumstances surrounding his parents’ death.
She added that, he attends school, has friends in the village and usually enjoys television and games.
He was shown a picture of both of his parents and looked at it intently, when he realized that he resembles them both.
His parents, Luana Cromwell, 24, and William Simon called ‘Sonna Boy’, 25, of Limlear, Corentyne, Berbice, decomposing bodies were discovered on May 18, 2004, locked in an embrace on a bed in their home in an apparent murder/suicide.
The murder/suicide couple’s post mortem revealed that they were electrocuted and died from cardiac arrest and Cromwell had sustained a blunt trauma to the skull which, indicated that she was struck with an object before she was electrocuted by her reputed husband.
He reportedly killed himself with an electrical contraption soon after he had electrocuted his wife and locked their son in the other bedroom of the cottage.
Electric wires were found around Cromwell’s neck and a wire running from a fuse box was attached to her body in the water soaked room.
The discovery was made after Cromwell’s uncle and a friend broke open the door of the cottage after neighbours began complaining about the stench emanating from the house.
The child was found in a very dehydrated condition and was hospitalized for a few days.
Joseph, who is a police officer, had previously told this newspaper that her daughter was in a troubled relationship. She said the couple always quarrelled. On one occasion, her daughter made a report to the Vigilance Police Station that she had been threatened with a knife.
Because of the constant bickering, Joseph said she encouraged her daughter to leave Simon. He had moved out for a few months and during that time she supported little Nkofi. Later they got back together but it was not long after that they both died.
According to Joseph, her daughter met Simon when she was attending a city institution and while he was originally from the Corentyne, he lived part of the time with a sister at Linden, whenever he was not working in Georgetown. She said he took her daughter there from time to time.
“Even though they had their problems, I never expected him to do something like this he was very quiet and respectful. It is such a tragedy that things ended like they did, it is really sad.”