Couva teacher murdered

Still reeling from the murder of nursing student Sally Roopan on Monday, the community of Couva was rocked again yesterday as another one of its women was brutally taken away—this time a preschool teacher. Police identified the latest victim as Judy Duke-Guerro, the 33-year-old mother of three, of Cemetery Street, Perseverance Village. Police said Duke-Guerro’s body was discovered around 4.30 pm by her 18-year-old brother. She was found bound at the feet and hands, she was blindfolded and her throat was slit.

The victim’s mother Lynette Duke cried unconsolably as the police conducted their investigations, and was constantly consoled by friends and relatives, all stunned by this latest killing of a woman they deemed innocent and very friendly to all who knew her. The woman had three children, Deneesa, Johnathon and Joshua, all still in primary school, with her former husband Andrew Guerro, 40.

Speaking to the media outside the house yesterday, as villagers crowded to the scene for a first-hand look at crime scene investigators conducting their investigations, Guerro said he and his wife had separated more than a year ago. He said he could not understand why anyone would want to kill her, but said: “She did not deserve die in such a horrific manner.” Guerro broke down in tears when undertakers removed the body around 7 pm, and had to  be consoled by Lenora Bishop, 50, a close friend of the victim.

Bishop said Couva has now become the murder capital of T&T. She said she last saw Duke-Guerro, who taught at a nearby preschool on Mary Street, on Tuesday morning when she arrived at her home to pick up her children for school. Bishop, too, said she could not understand why anyone would want to kill her friend. “I don’t see any reason why they killed her. People in Couva are living in fear, the criminals are now moving into this area.”

Central Homicide detectives are continuing investigations. Duke-Guerro’s killing came less than 24 hours after the killing of Roopan, 25. Duke-Guerro was also the third person to be murdered in central Trinidad in four days. Wayne Haywoood, 30, was killed outside a popular Couva rumshop on Saturday, before Roopan was killed on Monday. The murder was also the seventh in four days, taking the toll for the year to 54 up to last evening. The comparative toll for the last year was 41.