Couple and killer shared love nest

MURDERED Trinidadian Pra-matee Rampersad-Celestine had money problems and depended on her former common-law husband, Cyprian Diaz, father of two of her children, Michael and Randy, for support.  That’s the view of Joel Stuart, chef at the contentious Philadelphia restaurant where the former couple worked.

Diaz, 57, a Trinidadian, is now in the Philadelphia County Jail charged with murdering Rampersad-Celestine and her New York-born husband Eugene Celestine on June 17 in West Philadelphia. He has also been charged with possession of a firearm in a public place, possession of a firearm without a licence and possession of an instrument of crime. Speaking from a restaurant late Thursday night, Stuart, 30, whose parents are Trinidadians from Diego Martin said reports that Rampersad-Celestine and Diaz were the owners of the restaurant were not true. Stuart, who refused to be photographed, pointed out that the two were illegal immigrants and although Rampersad-Celestine had married an American, she had no social security number and could not get the lease for the property, which is owned by a man identified as Emmanuel Charles.

“He (Eugene) was married to the woman for so long, and she just could not move forward.  Pramatee’s problem was money,” Stuart said. He added that Diaz tried to get the lease as well, but Charles refused him because he was an immigrant.  As a result, Stuart said, Diaz had been paying the restaurant rent (US$800) for the past three months. He said Celestine was not “well-off” and worked as a security guard at the Superfresh Supermarket. According to Stuart, Rampersad-Celestine and Diaz started working together in the kitchen of the restaurant about three months ago. On the day of the killings, Rampersad-Celestine and Diaz were expected at work. Instead FBI officers showed up at the restaurant and informed staff of the murders.  Stuart said Diaz and the married couple lived together at apartment 106, 54th and Arch  Street, West Philadelphia and there was apparently some agreement for the couple to rent Diaz a room in the two-storey house. Stuart said from his observation Rampersad-Celestine and Diaz were still having an intimate relationship.

“I am telling you it was a love nest, an abomination that exploded.  It was that love nest that caused this foolishness, he (Diaz), husband, wife, living in the same house.  It was a big orgy.  It’s a crazy and filthy story,” he said. Stuart said all three used to live in New York first, but the Celestines moved over to Philadelphia sometime last year because Rampersad-Celestine had a live-in job in the suburbs of Pennsylvania.  He said Rampersad-Celestine appeared to be running from Diaz. Diaz moved to Philadelphia in December of 2002. “She  brought him here and this is what happened,” a pensive-looking Stuart said. He also said Diaz told him that when he came to New York in May 2001, authorities in New York seized his passport. Stuart said he could not say why Diaz’s passport was taken, but it was never given back to him.