Senior Investigative Reporter
Shaliza.hassanali@guardian.co.tt
There will be no Mother’s Day celebration at Bhagwandaye Ramharack’s home today, as she faces a bitter reality that her daughter’s innocent life was cut short far too soon.
Eight months ago, Ramharack’s 13-year-old daughter, Mariah Seenath, was attacked and killed while walking along a bushy track near her Friendship Village, Ste Madeleine home, and the person responsible for her untimely death is still out there.
The murder sent shockwaves throughout the tranquil community, as Mariah, an aspiring footballer, was well-loved.
On the field, Mariah was a star striker. In her Form Three classroom at San Fernando East Secondary School, her grades were among the highest.
As Ramharack, 38, navigates Mother’s Day without her eldest daughter, it brings waves of grief and sadness.
“For me, Mother’s Day will never be the same again. This pain I have been carrying for the past eight months will never go away until I get justice for Mariah’s murder,” Ramharack said during a telephone interview with Guardian Media Investigations Desk last week.
An autopsy performed on the teenager revealed that she died of blunt force injury to the head on September 20 last year, after leaving her grandmother’s house around 7.05 am to get to her father’s wooden shack, a short distance away.
Five hours later, her motionless body was found on a grassy pathway by someone who was walking to a nearby pig pen.
It was a familiar track Mariah and her younger sisters, Maria, 11, and Melanie, five, often used. No one expected it would be Mariah’s last walk.
Days after Mariah’s death, a man named Bambi posted a 12-minute video on social media, denying he had anything to do with her tragic death. After that, he went into hiding.
Following Mariah’s autopsy, the pathologist made specific observations and requested additional blood work.
“The last thing I heard was that the police were still waiting on some tests and things to be done. That was months ago,” Ramharack recalled.
Ramharack’s grief is compounded by the fact that Mariah’s killer is still walking free and she wonders if there will ever be justice.
“My daughter ain’t do nothing to deserve that horrific death. That does real pain meh. Why was my little girl taken from me? Why?”
With a tremble in her voice, Ramharack remembered how Mariah had lovingly crafted a handmade Mother’s Day card last year.
In addition to the card, Mariah also gave Ramharack a rose, a bar of chocolate and $100, which she had saved from her school allowance.
“She had a big heart. Mariah never gave any trouble or was disrespectful to me.”
Ramharack said she wished she could see her daughter again and tell her how much she loved her.
Of her five children, Ramharack said Mariah was the most caring, compassionate and considerate.
“She used to come and hug and kiss meh up. Sometimes she used to pinch my cheeks or mischievously pull at meh dress tail. Mariah always used to tell me she love meh,” Ramharack said, bursting into tears.
In the absence of those cherished moments, Ramharack plans to spend Mother’s Day in reflection, honouring her daughter’s memory in solitude rather than celebration.
She said she plans to prepare Mariah’s favourite meal of barbecue chicken, fried rice and potato salad and place it on the spot where her body was found.
“We would put flowers on the site, say a prayer and tell her to rest in peace. That is the best we can do for she.”
Mariah was cremated and her ashes were thrown into the sea.
Having captured several trophies and medals for her football skills with her school team, Mariah had her hopes hinged on opening her own business.
“She liked saving money. If you borrowed money from her, you had to pay her back with interest. She operated like a true businesswoman,” Ramharack said.
Three years ago, Mariah’s parents were separated.
Although the girls lived with their father, Marlon Seenath, they spent time with Ramharack at her home.
Ramharack said whenever she had to run an errand or do chores, Mariah looked after her three younger siblings, the last being her 16-month-old sister named Darian.
Since her death, Ramharack said Darian would constantly look at Mariah’s photo on her cellphone and cry.
“She would watch Mariah’s photograph all day, and you can’t take the phone away from her because she would bawl and scream. She, too, is grieving in her own way. We all missing she.”
