Police have reopened the investigation into the death of Dr. Margaret-Ann Eustace, a 71-year-old physician, whose body was found on a beach in Bequia on April 24.
Assistant Commissioner of Police with responsibility for crime-fighting, Trevor “Buju” Bailey gave the order, iWitness News was reliably informed.
Sources in the know told iWitness News that Bailey was overseas when police decided to close the investigation after an autopsy concluded that Eustace had choked on sand.
However, Bailey, who has over two decades of experience investigating homicides, is said to have reviewed the file on his return and ordered detectives to pursue additional lines of inquiry.
The body of Eustace, a Harmony Hall resident, was found on a beach in Bequia early on April 24. Police said that she had been seen on the beach the previous evening.
The pathologist who conducted the autopsy concluded that she died of “asphyxia due to upper and lower airway obstruction from sea sand”.
Police later issued a statement announcing the autopsy results and the discontinuation of the investigation.
One source familiar with the case told iWitness News that Eustace’s body had sand in the mouth, airway and stomach.
People commenting on the story on the iWitness News Facebook page raised questions about how the sand ended up inside Eustace’s body, resulting in her death.
“How much sand was found in her and was there any water found in her lungs ,I don’t think she would sit on the beach and eat sand to death,” Garnet Providence commented.
“This doesn’t make no sense at all, something is missing, if she was found on her back how the sand got in her lower and upper airway this I think needs more investigation man sad story,, may her soul rest in eternal peace,” Viola King said.
iWitness News understands that Eustace’s body is scheduled to be cremated this weekend.
It is not clear if the funeral would be delayed in light of the development. iWitness News understands that investigators have given no order that the funeral be postponed.
Well, it did take a special, scary kind of investigative confidence to arrive at a conclusion that a post-mortem result of having found enough sand inhaled and ingested to cause death in a human being is a perfect reason to end an investigation.
Then, moving right along, it took an even more speciai, terrifying kind of investigative complacency and balls to announce the decision for public consumption.
Sand in the mouth, airway and stomach and no cause for concern? What a bunch of QUACKS.This look a classic case of a homicide.