Berbice teen was pregnant, died by drowning, blunt trauma to head – PME
An autopsy performed on the remains of 17-year-old Melissa Soman called “Lisa,” whose body was pulled from the Berbice River on Friday, proved that she drowned and suffered blunt trauma to the head.
Dead: Melissa Soman called “Lisa”
The post-mortem was performed by Government pathologist, Dr Nehaul Singh on Monday at the New Amsterdam Hospital Mortuary. During the post-mortem, it was revealed that the teen was pregnant.
However, the teen’s 22-year-old boyfriend, who is expected to make a court appearance soon, had confessed to the heinous crime during interrogation.
He reportedly told detectives that an argument erupted between him and the mother of one during which he assaulted her. In a bid to escape, the young woman jumped overboard and never surfaced.
He accused Soman of Lot 58 Stanleytown, New Amsterdam, Berbice, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne), of being unfaithful with a cousin of his.
Initially, the suspect’s uncle, who was the captain of the boat at the time the woman jumped to her death, when questioned told investigators that Soman confided in him about the constant fights between his nephew and her. He noted that after the teen plunged overboard, the suspect went to save her but it was too late.
The suspects being escorted by Police after visiting the scene of the crime
The 48-year-old labourer was nevertheless taken into custody shortly after the girl’s lifeless body was discovered.
However, the suspect in his confession to the police claimed that he had found out about the teen’s infidelity and started beating her while travelling in the small wooden boat.
He told Police that the now dead teen jumped overboard to save herself from him but the boat captain rescued her.
He admitted that as they reentered the boat, he beat both of them and for the second time, the teen plunged overboard but the result was different this time around. Her body was found floating 16 hours later, some 50 miles up the Berbice River.
Soman left her Stanleytown home in March to spend time with her boyfriend and returned briefly for the funeral of her boyfriend’s mother in May. She had left her two-year-old son with her parents.
The girl’s boyfriend along with his uncle are currently in Police custody as lawmen await advice from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) to determine the way forward.
Meanwhile, the Humanitarian Mission Guyana Inc has come forward to assist with Soman’s burial, which is slated for Friday.
