Woman’s decomposing body found in guard booth

THE decomposing body of a woman believed to have been residing in an abandoned guard booth was discovered by members of the Hunters Search and Rescue Team (HSRT) in San Fernando yesterday morning.

HSRT member Kesraj Sooknanan said team members were driving through the area when they detected an odour around 9.25 a.m. The team followed it to a small wooden structure on a compound, which was previously occupied by the Hatters Steel Orchestra near Steve Achaiba Street and Lady Hailes Avenue. Sooknanan said the guard booth was locked from the inside, and when team members opened the wooden door, they found the woman’s body in a state of decomposition on a mattress inside the structure.

The HSRT members contacted the police, who entered the structure and found that clothing hung from several lines overhead, while other personal possessions were scattered across the floor, suggesting that the woman had been residing in the booth. A makeshift fireside, gas cylinder and other items were also found on the compound. Police officers found a document bearing the name “Marcia Thomas Singh” among the woman’s possessions but her identity had not been confirmed.