The Tribune

By SANCHESKA BROWN

Tribune Staff Reporter

sbrown@tribunemedia.net

THE body of a young woman was found badly burned with a “black cord” tied around her neck at her Carmichael Road home early yesterday.

Superintendent Paul Rolle, officer in charge of the Central Detective Unit, said police will await an autopsy to determine the cause of death; however, it is believed that the fire was “intentionally started”.

Police were alerted to a house fire shortly after 9am, Mr Rolle said. When officers arrived on the scene, they found a section of the home partially engulfed in flames.

Firefighters extinguished the blaze and discovered the body of the woman, believed to be in her early 20s, lying on a bedroom floor.

“Police received reports of a structural fire in the Margaret Avenue area off Carmichael Road. Once the fire was out officers discovered the body of a female lying on the floor in a southwestern bedroom,” Mr Rolle said.

“Further examination of the woman revealed a black cord was tied around her neck and further investigations revealed that the cord was tied around some of the beams above the rafters. We are conducting our investigations to determine what happened.”

Although the death has not been classified, Mr Rolle said police believe the fire was set intentionally in an attempt to “conceal evidence”.

“An autopsy will have to be performed to determine the exact cause of death,” he said. “There appear to be two areas in the building where the fire was intentionally started.”

Family members of the victim were visibly distraught yesterday as they gathered outside the home. A woman, believed to be the mother of the victim, fainted and had to be carried to a nearby vehicle by relatives.

Police investigations are continuing.

Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 911 or 919, the Central Detective Unit at 502-9991 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 328-TIPS.