by RHONDOR DOWLAT
Relatives believe that Gemma Khan was followed to her home at Mucurapo Road in St James by robbers and killed before they ransacked her home and left with a television set and her vehicle some time over the weekend.
An autopsy was conducted at the Forensic Science Centre in St James yesterday.
It confirmed that she died from blunt force trauma.
She was badly beaten in the face.
Speaking with the Guardian Media on Tuesday, a relative who wished not to be identified said that her murder has rocked the family as they have no clue whether or not there were other motives other than the robbery.
Khan worked as a sales woman distributing goods to many supermarkets throughout north Trinidad and was well known and well loved.
"She was a very lovely person with a great personality. We are shocked to hear that her life was snuffed out in such a gruesome manner, " the relative said.
Guardian Media was told that relatives are a bit baffled as to how the door to her home was locked and believed it was locked from the outside by her killer or killers as they were leaving.
Khan would have celebrated her 74th birthday next month.
Upon hearing the tragic news, one of her brothers from Tobago made his way to Trinidad seeking answers and hoping for swift justice.
According to a police report, at about 10 am on Monday, one of her daughters went to her home to check on her when she discovered the door locked. With the assistance of neighbours the door was broken down where they made the horrific discovery of Khan's body covered under a pile of clothes.
Police said relatives claimed that they were trying to contact her over the weekend but got no response hence the reason why they showed up at her house to physically check on her.
Khan was buried under Muslim rites following the Janazah (Islamic funeral prayer) at the Nur-E-Islam masjid in El Socorro yesterday afternoon.
Police are asking anyone with information to contact them at 555 or 999 or 800 TIPS.