Latest update March 19th, 2024 12:59 AM
Oct 18, 2021 News
Kaieteur News – A 33-year-old pork-knocker, Marvin Verbeck, who had initially denied murdering his wife, a Mahdia businesswoman on Wednesday last has finally confessed to choking her to death.
The woman he is accused of killing was identified as identified Denise Vieira, 47, a mother of four children.
Vieira was found dead around 13:45Hrs with blood oozing form her nose and mouth on the kitchen floor of her grocery shop located at Pepper Hill, Mahdia, Region Eight.
Detectives had arrested her husband as their prime suspect. He had initially denied killing his wife but eventually decided to tell detectives what happened on the day Vieira died. Kaieteur News understands that he started off by telling the cops that he did not mean to kill her.
He claimed that he had gone over at her shop that day just to have a chat with her. The man alleged that when he entered the kitchen, Vieira was cooking. Instead of alerting her, Verbeck said that he placed his arms around her neck from behind with the intention to pull her aside for a talk but she began to resist him and they ended in a scuffle.
During the scuffle, alleged Verbeck, he tightened his grip around her neck to keep the woman under control but she kept on fighting and they fell on the floor where she allegedly hit her head.
The man continued his allegations that she had stopped fighting and decided to release her form his grip not knowing that she was already dead.
He claimed that when he saw that she was unresponsive he panicked and began to shake her in an attempt to revive her. Verbeck said that he had even filled a bucket with water and threw on the woman hoping that she would be revived.
After his attempts proved futile, the man claimed that he left her there and stepped outside and made some checks around her house before heading to a nearby shop where he was reportedly seen hanging with some friends.
Vieira’s relatives and detectives, however, believe that Verbeck did more than just choke her death. They suspect the couple had ended up in a fight during which Verbeck had beaten the woman as well.
An autopsy conducted her remains revealed that her death was caused by asphyxiation due to compression injuries to the neck, compounded by blunt trauma to the head and face.
Her daughter, Felicia, recalled that when she arrived at the scene, her mother’s face was bloodied. Crime scene experts had reported too that her body bore multiple marks of violence. Detectives have opined that probably, he might have hit her to the face and head with a heavy object.
When confronted by police about the bruises and wounds to Vieira’s body, Verbeck reportedly told police that she had sustained those injuries while fighting to free herself from his grip.
Vieira and Verbeck had been together for eight years but their relationship turned sour about a year ago. According to Vieira’s relatives, the couple would have frequent arguments over domestic issues. Kaieteur News was told that Vieira decided to part ways with Verbeck six months ago.
She had moved out of the home they had shared into a concrete building she had built in the same yard. Without a husband, Vieira had to support herself and her 10-year-old son and so she opened a grocery shop.
Despite separating from her, Neighbours recalled that Verbeck would still verbally abuse Vieira almost every day. They said that he would even threaten to end her life.
Relatives believe that on Wednesday, the day she was killed, was one of those days that Verbeck had gone over to Vieira’s shop just to harass her. Her nieghbours had told the cops that moments before her body was discovered, they had overheard a confrontation between her and Verbeck.
They had narrated that the woman said loudly during the confrontation, “Get out of my (expletive) place, leff me alone.”
Vieira’s relatives said that she will be remembered as a woman who was friendly and kind. She was described as one who would listen to the problems of others and give them advice.
Vieira’s sister, Paulette, in a Facebook stated, “You wanted to know more about me, you told me, you would be there for me, no matter what! Some of my most painful moments I shared with you and you reassured me that it going to be ok or lend a word of advice, not knowing you were going through your own struggle”.
Residents of the Mahdia community remember her as a wonderful cook who was always willing to prepare meals when there is a meeting or activity and would even take a stranger into her home and give them food to eat.
She leaves to mourn her three daughters and her 10-year-old son.
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