…said reputed wife wanted to leave him

The 30-year-old suspect in the murder of a 23-year old female, whose body was found in a barrel in a trench on the Corentyne on Saturday, has allegedly confessed to committing the gruesome crime.

‘B’ Division commander Calvin Brutus confirmed the recent development in the case.He told the Guyana Chronicle that the suspect while being interrogated, confessed to killing his reputed wife of five months.

The woman has been identified as Devika ‘Vanessa’ Vickram, formerly of Lot 361 Zeelugt , East Bank Essequibo. She also lived in Venezuela for sometime.

Suraj Verasammy called ‘Radesh’,a labourer who works on a poultry farm,allegedly told investigators that he committed the crime after his partner threatened to leave him following an argument.

Sources close to the investigation revealed that the suspect was taken back to the crime scene where he related that he committed the act sometime on Thursday last after the two had a heated argument that became physical.

The man was unable to control his rage; he allegedly strangled the woman with a bed sheet and smashed in her face to a pulp making her unrecognizable. He then threw her body into one of two blue plastic barrels which was in the yard and later rolled it out of the yard and dumped it into a nearby trench.

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The body was eventually discovered on Saturday morning partially submerged in a small trench at R & S Street in Belvedere, East Berbice Corentyne where the couple lived.After observing a pungent scent, a neighbour went to investigate and noticed a foot dangling from the barrel and he raised an alarm. The police were summoned immediately.

The couple had moved into the area about three months ago and neighbours noted that they were constantly fighting.Following the discovery, Verasammy was wanted for questioning by the police and was eventually found on Sunday hiding under the Canje Bridge. He was taken into custody and was under intense interrogation and eventually cracked sometime on Monday afternoon.

The relatives of Verasammy have indicated that the young woman told them she came from Venezuela and was staying at an orphanage.

The body is currently at the Bailey’s Funeral Home awaiting a post-mortem investigation.