$10,000 ring stolen from the dead

The man died at the West Shore Medical Private Hospital, Western Main Road in Port of Spain on Sunday and his body was taken to the funeral home for preparation for his funeral service.

The 25-year-old suspect remained in custody yesterday as police officers searched his Petit Valley home hoping to retrieve the stolen wedding band.

Newsday understands that on Sunday employees of the funeral home were called to the hospital to retrieve the body of Noel Murray.

However on Wednesday when attendants were about to prepare the body for embalming for the funeral scheduled to be held today, a relative who is employed at the funeral home discovered that the wedding band was missing. He alerted management and relatives and a report was made to the Portof- Spain CID.

Yesterday officers under the supervision of ASP Ajith Persad and including Inspector Harvey Jawahir, Sgt Wilson, Cpl Anand Bissoon, and others went to Clark and Battoo where they interviewed several persons. The lockers belonging to employees from the mortuary room were searched but the ring was not found. Officers then detained the main suspect who denied that he had stolen the ring.

Newsday understands that Murray’s relatives have decided to proceed with the funeral but have expressed grave concern over the larceny of the wedding band from a corpse. Newsday understands that it is customary for relatives of persons who die at hospitals and nursing homes to be given all personal effects from the corpse before the body is handed over to any funeral agency.