The Tribune

A YOUNG mother was found hanging in a room at a hotel on West Bay Street last night, police said.

Police suspect the woman hung herself with a cord suspended from the ceiling at a room in the Land Shark Coco Plum Resort. Her toddler son was in the room with her when the incident occurred.

However, Superintendent Audley Peters told reporters at the scene that due to the early stages of the investigation, police will await the result of an autopsy to officially determine the cause of death.

He said a friend discovered the woman unresponsive in the hotel room and police were alerted about the incident shortly after 8pm.

“At this time, we believe that the person would have taken a cord and perhaps used the leverage from the ceiling and hung themselves,” Supt Peters said.

While he did not release the woman’s identity, citing the need for her to be identified by a next of kin, he said the deceased is a Bahamian in her late 20s.

The woman’s young son was taken to the hospital for an assessment, Supt Peters said.

A man, who claimed he is the child’s father, was at the scene, Supt Peters said. However, he added that police have to confirm his claim before the child will be turned over to him. In the meantime, the child will remain in the custody of the state.

Supt Peters said the man was not at the site at the time of the incident, according to the investigation. He arrived after the police and expressed his thoughts that the incident didn’t have to happen, Supt Peters said.

Asked if police suspected any foul play, Supt Peters told reporters: “We’re early in the investigations, the evidence is going to direct us. . .Once we have gotten the autopsy it will tell us some things. . .to determine the exact cause of death or who caused the death to the individual.”

Asked if the deceased left behind a note, Supt Peters said he did not think so, but said police will be looking at her phone to see the victim’s last thoughts.

The Land Shark hotel is used by the Department of Social Services to house people in need of immediate housing assistance.

Asked by a reporter if police had complaints from residents that the property is unsafe, Supt Peters said he was not aware of any.

“I’m not aware of any complaints coming out of the property. There are persons who complain about weekend events where persons come to enjoy themselves with libations. Wherever you have libations you are going to have perhaps a rowdy crowd, to say that it is not safe, we don’t have complaints of persons being assaulted or any crime that I’m aware of at this locale.”

Anyone with information that could help this investigation is asked to contact police at 502-9991/2.