By Rabindra Rooplall

THE slashed and decomposed body of ‘C’ Field, Sophia resident Simone Hackett was discovered yesterday morning in a canal at Cummings Lodge, East Coast Demerara.The 25-year-old mother of one was reported missing by relatives on Sunday after she had not returned on Saturday night from going to collect a package sent from Mahdia by her son’s father, and

calls to her phone had gone unanswered.

Discovered by two schoolboys on their way to school, Hackett’s body was positively identified by relatives, who broke down in tears at the scene even as scores of persons flocked to glimpse the mutilated and decomposed remains.
Police ‘C’ Division Commander Marlon Chapman, who was at the scene, confirmed that the woman’s throat had been slashed and three stab wounds were evident to the back of the neck.
The body was clad in dark-coloured clothing when pulled from the bushy canal, and the police have retrieved a ‘chopper’ and an old sheet adjacent to the bloated body.

Commander Chapman could not confirm whether the murder had occurred there or if the body had been merely dumped at the location.

Hackett was slated to be the maid of honour at her sister’s wedding the same day she went missing, and was also to celebrate her son’s birthday. She’d told relatives that the child’s father had sent her a package with a man named ‘Dexter’.

“Is ‘Dexter’ the man name who was supposed to bring the package for her; is she child-father send it with him. And after that, we never saw her back until now,” one sorrowful female relative screamed.

Hackett’s relatives believe that her ex-boyfriend is somehow involved in her murder, and they are urging the police to question him.

IN CUSTODY
“Sunday was her son’s birthday and sister’s wedding; the child-father and his sister and family dem’ know something about her death. Up to now they have not called,” another female relative said.

“Whoever kill her didn’t rob her; they cut up her body and damaged her up…. He had promised her a death, and he keeps giving police conflicting stories. He is in police custody in Mahdia lockups,” the female relative added.

Fighting back tears, Simone’s father, Gerald Hackett, said he was heading to the West Coast of Demerara when he received the tragic news that her body was found.

“She called her mother at 10:10hrs, saying that she was at UG standing up waiting for the person. She had called my phone to find out where we were, but I didn’t get to answer her because my other daughter was getting married the Sunday and she was supposed to be the maid of honour,” Mr Hackett said.

He added: “Simone had also called again, lamenting she was still waiting on the ‘line top’ for the person. Since she was waiting long and didn’t see no one coming, we told her to come home.”

The young woman’s mother, Mala Mohabir, also believes that the ex-boyfriend is behind the murder.

“She child-father had threatened her weeks ago that he would hurt her and kill her because of the problem with custody of the child… Other than that, she had no problem with anybody,” Ms Mohabir said.

According to the woman, the ex-boyfriend wanted the child to live with him in Mahdia, and it was only after her daughter had put up a fight that a decision was made for the child to stay with his mom in Sophia and visit the father whenever school was closed.