Relatives hope for autopsies of burnt couple

The family has been waiting since Thursday last for the autopsies so they can bid the couple a final farewell and lay them to rest. The charred remains of Marchan and Ardia were found in a burnt-out vehicle in Fyzabad on Wednesday night.

Peter’s grieving brother, Denis, told Sunday Newsday yesterday an autopsy is expected to be done tomorrow. “In the meantime, we are just trying to support each other and our parents,” he said.

The suspected murder/ suicide deaths of Peter, a mechanic, and his wife Ardia, a ballet dancer and teacher at La Romaine High School, have left relatives and friends in profound grief. Described as the happy couple from Robert Hill, relatives said Peter and Ardia were married for 15 years but about one year ago, they they became estranged.

They made efforts to reconcile their relationship and relatives believe tragedy struck on Wednesday night during one of those attempts at reconciliation.

It was reported that at about 7.02 pm on Wednesday, officers of the Fyzabad Police Station responded to a report of a vehicle on fire along the lonely Forres Reserve Road, Fyzabad.

Fire Services personnel were called in and the blaze was put out. Marchan and Ardia’s charred bodies were found on the front seats of the vehicle.

Investigators later visited their home where traces of blood were discovered inside a room. Investigations are still continuing to determine what ignited the fire.

Police sources have also revealed that days prior to the tragic incident, Peter not only requested time-off from work, but also complained of his frustration while enquiring where he could obtain a firearm.