By Alex Davidson
A Guyanese man stabbed his 26-year-old wife to death late Saturday night in her father’s home in Richmond Hill and then turned the knife on himself, police said.
Geetanjali Ramdehol, of 95-27 134th St., was stabbed in the upper torso and back by her husband, Ramarine Ramdehol, 40, who stabbed himself in the chest, police said.
Geetanjali Ramdehol was pronounced dead on arrival and her husband later died at Jamaica Hospital.
A spokeswoman for the medical examiner’s office said Geetanjali Ramdehol’s death was a homicide caused by wounds to the chest and back. Ramarine Ramdehol’s death was classified as a suicide, with multiple stab wounds to his liver, stomach and major blood vessels, she said.
Neighbors were surprised by the murder-suicide and said the couple seemed to be getting along well despite past incidents that involved police coming to the house.
“Police had been to that house two, maybe three times before the murder,” one neighbor said. “I didn’t really know what was taking place in there.”
The neighbor, who was friendly with the victim’s father, said she would take her grandchildren to PS 55 along with Geetanjali Ramdehol and her two children every morning. She usually saw the husband and wife enjoying their time together.
But she also said some incident led Ramarine Ramdehol to stop living with Geetanjali Ramdehol about two months ago.
“It seemed like he just went away,” said the neighbor, who has lived in Richmond Hill for 14 years, as she watched her grandchildren play in front of a wide open door.
Geetanjali Ramdehol lived in a two-story house with her father and his second wife. Her mother is still living in Guyana, the neighbor said.
Residents described the neighborhood as a quiet place, where everyone has their own private driveway, a front garden and talks to one another.
“It’s very quiet and peaceful here,” the 14-year resident said. “Everything is OK.”
Another neighbor said he saw Geetanjali Ramdehol at 7 p.m. on the night of the incident.
“I saw her on the phone in front of her house. Then the next time I saw her, she was in a big, black bag,” he said.
The neighbor said Geetanjali Ramdehol’s parents would be taking care of the two young children, who still were unaware that their mother had been killed, he said.
“I just can’t believe he did that in her father’s house,” said that neighbor. “She was a young girl and he was old, and I guess he just got jealous.”
Reach reporter Alex Davidson by e-mail at TimesLedger@aol.com or by phone at 229-0300, Ext. 156
