Boyfriend released on bail as investigation continues

THE mason who was held in connection with the death of his girlfriend, Tishauna Bess, 26, of Dairy, La Parfaite Harmonie, West Bank Demerara (WBD), on May 16, was released on bail as investigations continue, Commander of ‘D’ Division Leslie James has confirmed.

An autopsy revealed that Bess, a teacher, died of asphyxia caused by compression to the neck. Her boyfriend, a mason, was taken into police custody after her body was found hanging in her home. Reports indicate that after Bess’s relatives could not reach her on her cellular phone since Monday, they decided to visit her home to check on her, but the house was locked.

The police were then summoned and with the permission of the family, the door was forced open and the gruesome discovery was made. Bess was found hanging and her body appeared bloated, suggesting that she had died days ago.

Relatives in an interview with the Guyana Chronicle noted that Bess and her boyfriend, Elston Sertima, were in an abusive relationship.

This resulted in her leaving him and renting a house recently in Dairy, La Parfaite Harmonie,WBD. The dead woman’s father, Kenneth Bess, told the Guyana Chronicle that he learnt of his daughter’s death after her mother visited her home and made the discovery. Expressing grave shock, the father of four, who is a contractor, said his daughter’s boyfriend worked with him on a recent project.