Night-time burial for Celine

It is unusual for someone to be buried under Muslim rites after dark, but one relative who declined to be named, said since Thomas had died last week Thursday, they tried their best to lay her to rest in accordance to the family’s wishes.

Muslims try to bury their dead as soon as possible after death and it is not unusual for a deceased to be buried within 24 hours. The main steps involved are washing the body, shrouding it, saying the funeral prayer and then burial.

Thomas’ body was shrouded in white cloth and laid out in a simple white casket. Salāt al-Janāzah, the Islamic funeral prayer, was said by Imam Muhammad Naushad Ali. Because of a delay in Thomas’ body being autopsied on Monday, the body was only released to the family after sunset.

Thomas’ body was one of 15 at the centre awaiting autopsy on Monday.

Last week Thursday, in the evening, Thomas was shot dead. Her body was found with the hands bound and a single bullet wound to the side of her head in bushes near her Calvary Hill, Arima home the following day.

The body was discovered by her mother Cindy Cipriani and a friend. Carlyle Hamilton, 33, was found hours before Thomas’ body was found.

He was shot several times and remains warded at the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex (EW MSC) in Mt Hope. While Cipriani said her daughter was not married to Hamilton, several members of the Al-Jabbal Mosque insist the two were married under the Nikah law for about two years.

Thomas converted to Islam about the same time she met Hamilton.

Cipriani said she had “no problem” with her daughter seeing an older man, as he never shown her any disrespect.

She said her daughter had broken off the relationship when she found out Hamilton was in another relationship and also had children, but would meet him whenever he visited the area