Even as US officials investigate whether the death of a family of four in New Jersey was a murder/suicide, relatives of the deceased in T&T say they don’t believe Lyndon Shane Beharry could have been capable of taking the lives of his wife and children.
Beharry’s sister-in-law, Cadine Mohammed, told the T&T Guardian relatives could not believe her brother-in-law would have committed such an act, describing him as the ultimate family man and very loving.
Beharry, his common-law wife, Amanda Morris, and their two children—Brandon and Brian—were found dead in their New Jersey home when emergency personnel responded to reports of a fire on Tuesday.
Relatives are waiting for autopsies on the family to find out the cause of their deaths.
Mohammed said her sister met Beharry in New Jersey about 12 years ago and even though the two never got married, they seemed the perfect couple to family and friends.
“Shane Beharry was the ultimate family man. He was a most loving person,” an emotional Mohammed said.
“Manda and Shane... when they were in a group they would make a room light up. They made everyone around them happy.
“Of course, like anyone they would have had small problems but there was never anything to suggest something like this would happen,” she added.
Mohammed, who lives in Claxton Bay, said she spoke to her sister and nephews via phone almost daily but Morris never spoke of any problems.
She added: “We are just sitting here, listening to the news like everyone and wondering what happened. She never told me of anything that would have suggested something like this. She never sounded down and the children never said anything either.”
She said at this time relatives in T&T could only wait for news from those living in New Jersey.
“My parents live there too so we are just waiting for them to tell us whatever news they get. We are a very close-knit family and this has shocked us all,” she added.
Mohammed said the funerals of the four would take place in New Jersey but she could not say when.