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Suspect weaves elaborate plan to kill wife and children
View(s):Illicit lover says she was unaware that the man who befriended her was married
A 34-year-old man being held in connection with the killing of his wife and two children, had made elaborate plans to kill them and wed the woman he had deceived into believing he was a bachelor, police investigating the triple murder in Ratmalana have found.
A three-week long illicit relationship with another woman had led the man to kill his family on December 17 in Golumadama, Ratmalana area, which he tried to cover up, first telling the police that his wife had an extra marital affair, but later confessing that he had gone to the extent of putting together a ‘made up’ family to deceive his lover’s family, so as to get their consent to marry him.
Tragic end: Two of the victims
The alleged killer, an Information and Technology (IT) Manager, was taken into custody the day after the killing, even though, initially, he had tried to convince the Police that his wife and children had died in an accidental fire.
Police Spokesman, SSP Prishantha Jayakody told the Sunday Times that the illicit lover of the suspect had made a statement saying she was unaware he man who had befriended her about three weeks ago, when they met at an IT Course, was married. He had told her he was a 27-year-old bachelor. The woman is a 21-year-old Japanese language teacher at a Negombo international school.
Initially, the suspect had told Police that his wife had an illicit relationship with another man and the infant was not his child. He had claimed that it was possible the wife’s lover had carried out the killing.
However, police investigations had ascertained that the suspect had entered the room furtively and strangled his wife, Sachethana de Silva and his three-year-old son, Prashan Bhanuka de Silva to death and later burnt them along with the infant.
The suspect, who hailed from the Akurala, Ambalangoda and the victim, had married in 2006, following a courtship, built a house in Golumadama, Ratmalana near her family, as she was the only girl in her family. She was an English medium mathematics teacher of the primary section at Princess of Wales College, Moratuwa.
Investigations revealed that the suspect was in the habit of frequenting massage parlours, and said he had received more love and care from his illicit lovers than from his wife. He had worked for a private company as an IT executive, and left to start his own business.
The mother of the suspect, who was also taken in as a suspect, along with the servant, were cleared of any involvement in the murders. The mother had revealed that the suspect is a foster child. She had been in the house when the killing took place, but said she was not involved with the killing or any of his activities.
The magisterial inquiry was conducted by Mt Lavinia Magistrate Nirosha Fernando. Judicial Medical Officer, Dr. Dhammika Ariyaratne who carried out the postmortem investigations, confirmed that the deaths of the wife and the three-year-old was by strangulation, while the infant died due to excessive smoke inhalation.
The magistrate ordered the suspect be remanded for further investigations, while directing the police to produce statements of telephone calls of the suspect, as well as those of the victim and the man’s lover, at the next hearing fixed for January.
Contributions: Chamal Weerakkody and Reka Tharangani
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