The Tribune

By AVA TURNQUEST

Tribune Chief Reporter

aturnquest@tribunemedia.net

POLICE expect to bring charges against a woman today in the “suspicious death” of Ariel Lowe, who was discovered by firefighters with a “black cord” tied around her neck last week.

Superintendent Bernard Bonamy Jr yesterday confirmed that Ms Lowe’s death has been classified as a homicide, adding that a woman would be arraigned at noon today.

Police were alerted to a house fire in the Margaret Avenue area off Carmichael Road shortly after 9am on Monday, February 23.

When officers arrived at the scene, they found a section of the home partially engulfed in flames. Firefighters extinguished the blaze and discovered Ms Lowe’s body lying on a bedroom floor. According to police, there was a black cord tied around her neck and the cord was also tied around some of the beams above the ceiling’s rafters.

A video showing Ms Lowe, a recent graduate of St Andrew’s School, being abused by a woman, allegedly her lover, went viral on social media two days later. In the video a woman, whose face was not seen, videotaped herself slapping and hitting Ms Lowe in the face and back.

Police arrested a 21-year-old woman in connection with Ms Lowe’s death, but would not confirm whether the woman in the video is the same woman in police custody.

Following her death, a Facebook group was created entitled “Justice for Ariel” and dedicated to “stopping domestic violence”.

Up to press time, the page had more than 2,500 “likes.”