The peaceful community of Gasparillo has been shattered by the brutal murder of 74-year-old Sookhdaya “Chandra” Jury, who was discovered with her throat slit in her San Fabien Road home on December 1. The horrific finding was made by her daughter after repeated calls went unanswered, despite the two having communicated via video chat less than an hour earlier.
The tragedy strikes just days before the sixth anniversary of her husband Lesley Hosein’s murder, who was killed by bandits in Sangre Grande in 2017. Jury’s brother, 80-year-old Mohan, expressed profound shock, revealing they had spent time together the previous night as she prepared for a Friday trip to visit her daughter in Canada.
Police investigations revealed no signs of forced entry or robbery, leading relatives and residents to suspect the perpetrator was someone known to the victim. Adding to the mystery, Jury’s cellphone was later recovered in the washroom of a local Gasparillo bar.
The murder has sent shockwaves through the close-knit community where Jury was described as a quiet, warm, and loving person who frequently welcomed villagers into her home. Neighbor Amir Sahadath, who had been socializing with Jury hours before the murder, expressed both grief and fear, noting the killer remains at large.
This incident marks the latest in a disturbing pattern of violence against elderly citizens in Trinidad. Earlier this year, 77-year-old Sam Seegulam was found dead in Longdenville in October, 64-year-old Fanglin Zuo was murdered in Tobago in September, and married couple Kumari and Nasheed Baksh (60 and 67 respectively) were found dead in their Cumuto home in January.