Sarah Johanna couple found dead in suspected murder/suicide

– wife shot twice, husband once to temple

The village of Sarah Johanna on the East Bank of Demerara (EBD) was on Tuesday morning plunged into a state of shock following the discovery of the bodies of a newly-wedded couple.
Dead are 25-year-old Nicholas Low-a-Chee and his wife, 27-year-old Elizbeth Sasha Dass Low-a-Chee. They had been married for about six months. Their bodies were discovered at about 07:30h by an uncle who he was supposed to assist.

The couple lived alone, and was found with gunshot injuries to their bodies. They were last seen alive on Sunday, but based on the state of the bodies, detectives believe that they might have been dead for more than 24 hours. They were found in a blood-soaked bed with a gun suspected to be the weapon used to commit the acts.

The young man, who was self-employed, sustained a gunshot wound to his right-side temple, while his wife, a former teacher, sustained two gunshot wounds – one above her right eye and one to her abdomen.
In addition, three suspected .32 spent shells were found in the bedroom – one on the bed, one on the floor and the other about six feet from the man’s body. A .32 pistol was also found two feet east of his left hand.
Further, a quantity of suspected cannabis – which when weighed amounted to 370 grams – was found on the premises.
Nevertheless, the discovery has left relatives and friends baffled, with a lot of questions as to the circumstances surrounding their demise.
At the scene, curious onlookers gathered to get a glimpse of the bodies, but the detectives had cordoned off the area surrounding the single flat concrete house. The dead woman’s father, who is still coming to grips with reality, explained that he left home for work as usual, and while plying his trade, he received a telephone call requesting that he visit his daughter immediately.

The message, he thought, was strange and worrying. He noted that as he was making his way to Sarah Johanna, someone else called and informed him that his daughter and son-in-law were shot and killed.
“When I reach, I see them in the bed lay down with a gun on the ground. She get hit on she chest, he get one on he side… that was all I see because the Police come,” the devastated father related.
He had last seen them on New Year’s Day when they visited his home in Diamond New Housing Scheme. He recalled them leaving home at about 12:00h, but the next day when he spoke with her, he was told that they were having a barbeque.
He is of the belief that the couple had no issues in their marriage. He too is not sure what transpired, and is hopeful that some answers could be provided.
The young man’s distraught mother explained that she had last seen her son on Sunday after lunch. She explained that he was someone who did not tell anyone if anything was bothering him.
She noted that they spoke for a while, since she is expected to leave the country at the end of the month. The last thing she recalled telling him was to answer his phone whenever he sees her calling. “This is something he does always do… he never pick up the call, and I tell he make sure that he answer me, because I would want to find out how they are doing,” she cried.
The woman added that she was at home in Land of Canaan, EBD, when she received the news. She did not get to see the bodies since by the time she arrived at the scene, the area was already cordoned off.
The uncle who found the bodies explained that he attempted to contact his nephew early Tuesday morning but his telephone went unanswered.
The uncle, who lives a stone’s throw away from the dead couple, went to the house and called out for him but still there was no answer. The young man’s vehicles were parked, and at that time, the uncle thought something was amiss.
He opened the door, and upon entering the house, he made the gruesome discovery. He raised an alarm and immediately contacted the Police. He too stated that there are many unanswered questions about the manner in which the two young people met their demise.
Another uncle, Samuel Low-a-Chee, who played the role of a father, related that his family took a road trip to Berbice on New Year’s Day – the last time he saw his nephew alive. “I tell him to go with us, but he said he will stay home and visit some other family… When I come back, I didn’t see him, but I didn’t expect that he was dead and was in the house until my brother went to his house this morning (Tuesday).
With tears in his eyes, he added, “Imagine I married this chap, and now it look I have to bury him.” Nicholas’s father died a few years ago.
Meanwhile, residents in the area explained that persons were setting off crackers and bombs on Sunday evening, and as such, they believe that the incident might have taken place around the same time. The Police have questioned several persons, including close relatives as investigators seek to understand what really transpired.