THE Black Bush community is in a state of shock as investigators are combing the area looking for the remains of a 43-year-old woman whose husband has reportedly confessed to

killing her over seven months ago.

The woman, Lilwantie Ballack, of Lot 17 Mibicuri North, Black Bush Polder, was last heard from in August 2016, a few days before her 43rd birthday on September 3rd. According to her daughter Darshanie Devi Ballack 20, her father visited her on the 6th September 2016 at her Friendship Village, Corentyne home and told her that Lilawantie won’t be able to attend their wedding reception on the 11th September since she is leaving for the United States the next day.

“Daddy come on the 6th and say mommy send the ring for the reception but she nah gun make it because she gah fly out the next day.”
She continued that while she thought it was strange that her mother was leaving without seeing her before the reception, she did not think anything of it. However, after a few weeks of not hearing from her, they began enquiring from relatives overseas if she had visited them since this was her second trip.

“After a couple weeks pass and she nah call, me call me mamoo (Uncle) who she bin stay by the last time to see if she deh there, but he say he na see she and he start fuh look fuh she but he tell we nobody nah see or hear from she.”
Devi related that relatives started to get worried and whenever they contacted other relatives they gave different accounts from what her father had said. She further related that two months after her mother allegedly went missing her father took a 22-year-old woman as his common law wife.

It was not until Wednesday the 29th March after visiting the office of the prime minister in Region Six that an official report to the police was made after being advised by the prime minister’s representative, Gobin Harbajan. Police acted swiftly and arrested the father,45-year-old Sunildatt Ballack the said day. According to police, at first he denied having any knowledge about the woman’s whereabouts, but after being repeatedly interrogated, he reportedly confessed on Thursday to killing his wife and disposing of the body somewhere in Black Bush Polder. Up to press time ranks were in the Black Bush Polder area searching for the woman’s remains.