Young woman killed in brutal attack

The death of Melissa Akong pushed the murder toll to 177 persons for the year so far and the seventh person murdered between Friday and yesterday.

The bizarre incident took place a mere three weeks after the man was charged with sexual assault of a 14-year-old girl who is now in a safe house.

The victims’ mother collapsed at the bloody murder scene and was taken to the St Ann’s Mental Hospital where she is being treated for shock and temporary insanity.

A 14-year-old student who witnessed the bloody attack and survived by scaling a wall, was in a state of shock and in the protective care of officers of the West End Police yesterday.

The dead woman was a clerk at the Unit Trust Corporation in Port-of-Spain. Both her legs were severed in the cutlass attack and she suffered chop wounds to the head, face and other parts of her body.

Her 17-year-old sister Somara Akong is warded at the Intensive Care Unit at the Port-of-Spain General Hospital in critical condition. She is barely conscious and both her legs were nearly severed from the attack.

Doctors carried out emergency surgery yesterday in an attempt to re-attach the legs, but they have given the teenager a slim chance at survival.

Judy Badree, the mother of the murder victim was rushed to the St Ann’s Mental Hospital by police officers after she began acting in a hysterical manner.

Around 10.30 am yesterday, the suspect, a 46-year-old man who served three years in prison for possession of drugs and who owns two vegetable stalls and operates a grilled food outlet walked into the West End Police Station and surrendered. He was accompanied by a female relative who is a police officer.

He contacted the officer early yesterday and asked her to take him to the police. Police officers interviewed the man who later gave a statement.

Director of Public Prosecutions Geoffrey Henderson will be consulted today following an autopsy on the body of the dead woman.

After securing bail for his sexual assault charges on Friday, the suspect reportedly issued threats to Badree and members of her family.

Badree reported the threats to the West End Police on Saturday.

Reports revealed that around 3.45 am yesterday, the man armed with a sharpened cutlass, and a bag containing a rope and bottles of weedicide went to the Petit Valley house where he lived with Badree and her daughters.

He attacked Badree in the yard and was attempting to chop her, when her screams for help alerted Melissa, 21, her sister Somara , 17, and her 14-year-old friend Kimberly Romain.

The three attempted to restrain the cutlass-wielding man who turned the blade on Melissa by severing both her legs. The crazed man then began chopping her about the head and other parts of the body.

Somara who tried to assist her sister was dealt chops to both her legs.

As she fell to the ground, the man also chopped her about the body.

Romain gathered the courage and strength to escape by scaling a wall at the back of the house.

She fell into a river and was rescued by a man known only as "Blade."

The girl related the horror story to the man who alerted other residents of Petit Valley and they rushed to the scene.

By the time they arrived, the killer had long fled. In his haste to leave, he left behind his bag containing the rope and weedicide. Officers of the West End Police Station were alerted along with a District Medical Officer.

Police officers were greeted by a frantic Badree who bent over the body of her daughter and apologised for the incident.

EHS officers were quickly summoned to the scene where they took Somara to the Port-of-Spain General Hospital.

The killing sent shock waves throughout the Morne Coco, Petit Valley area.

Residents claimed that the death and chopping could have been avoided.

The yard where the attack took place remained covered with blood while the gate was locked.

A party of officers led by Senior Supt Roderick Roach, Supt Henry Millington, Inspector Anthony Lezama, and homicide officers went to the scene and carried out inquiries.

Cpl Rivas is continuing investigations.