A British pensioner has been found dead under her bed at her home in the Caribbean, prompting police to launch a murder investigation.
The body of Diana Theodore, 72, was discovered at her house in Choiseul, St Lucia in the early hours of Saturday morning along with her dog.
Ms Theodore, who has been described by neighbours as a community activist, was found dead in her home on Saturday.
A neighbour in the community where Ms Theodore has been living for over 30 years said that she was reported missing by a friend she lives with. She moved to St Lucia from the UK and has one daughter.
“He came to us and said he had not seen her, so we all went in search of her but did not find her,” the neighbour recalled.
“We all went looking to try to find her as she is always at home. It is not like her not to be seen in this small village. She was friendly and has been living in Morne Sion for many years now.”
Following an extensive search of the area, and the intervention of the police, Ms Theodore was subsequently found tied underneath her bed in a pool of blood with a laceration to her head. Her dog was also found dead in the house.
‘Everybody is just in shock’
“She was a very nice person, every time you see her, she would be smiling, her teeth always out,” said another resident.
“She’s such a nice lady for her to have been treated that way. Everybody is just in shock and very sad because she is such a nice lady and did not deserve this at all. Things like that don’t occur in Choiseul.”
She has a daughter who is a university lecturer in the UK. She will be notified about her mother’s death.
A police spokesman in St Lucia said that they are investigating the murder.
“The police are continuing with the investigation into the homicide which happened over the weekend. We are following all lines of inquiry and will leave no stones unturned. We will speak to everyone who knew the deceased and hope to get to the bottom of this. No one will be excluded from our investigation. We are hoping to establish a motive for this murder and we will proceed from there.”
