76-y-o’s decomposing body found at Mona home
Published:Friday | May 28, 2021 | 12:17 AMAndre Williams/Staff Reporter
Investigators are probing the circumstances leading to the death of an elderly woman, whose body was discovered by a gardener at her Gardenia Boulevard home in Mona, St Andrew, on Tuesday.
The deceased, Ruth DeCasseres Murray, 76, is a retiree and was last seen alive last Friday, according to neighbours and acquaintances.
The gardener, who said he knew DeCasseres Murray well, was shocked at the discovery and alerted neighbours and subsequently contacted the police.
“Mi know di woman over 10 years now. Mi nuh just come ‘bout ya. A years me deh bout ya,” he said, adding that he last saw DeCasseres Murray on Friday after she dropped him off in Papine.
“I told her I won’t come to work Saturday and she said, ‘Tek the day, man. You want some rest.’ Monday a holiday so I told her she would see me Tuesday,” he told The Gleaner.
He said that, when he returned on Tuesday, he was hit by an odour and called out for DeCasseres Murray.
“When mi a go ‘roun mi see bare fly and me peep inside and see her on the ground,” he recalled, adding that her windows were rarely closed as she loves natural air.
The fire department assisted the police in gaining access to the dwelling.
Reports from the police are that DeCasseres Murray’s body was found on its back in an advanced state of decomposition inside the bedroom.
An autopsy is to be conducted to reveal the cause of death.
Residents spoke fondly of the deceased and were saddened at the news of her demise.
“She is very unique in her personality. She never spoke ill of anyone from my interactions with her back in the day … . I’ve seen her a few times on the road in recent times, whether she is walking or driving,” one told The Gleaner.
The St Andrew Central police are investigating.