A 42-year-old Trinidad and Tobago mother whose relatives say they repeatedly urged her to leave an abusive relationship was found dead in her home on Sunday, Dec 7, 2025.
Authorities are investigating the incident as a domestic violence tragedy involving her partner.
Angel Lutchman, a Trinidian mother of two known among friends as “the life of the party,” was discovered unresponsive in her bedroom in the Caribbean country early Sunday morning.
According to the Trinidad & Tobago Guardian, police say her boyfriend, 29-year-old Shazard Mohammed, was also found dead nearby. Officials are treating the incident as a suspected murder followed by his death, though the investigation remains ongoing.
The couple’s relationship, relatives say, had long shown troubling signs. Lutchman’s 11-year-old son, who had spent the night at an aunt’s home, made the devastating discovery when he returned around 7 a.m.
Her older brother, Mark, said the family had been alarmed from the beginning — not only by the age gap, but by the volatility and isolation that gradually took over his sister’s life.
“This was a toxic relationship from the start,” he said. “Every time he came around, it was a fight or a threat. We kept telling her she didn’t have to live like that.”
Mark said he intervened multiple times over the years and recalled that Lutchman had even obtained a restraining order earlier this year. Despite that, the pair remained together.
He recounted a moment several months ago when Mohammed allegedly threatened Lutchman in front of him.
“He looked at me and said he would kill my sister,” Mark said. “I called the police, but by the time they came, she had already talked to him and changed her mind about reporting anything further.”
According to her family, Lutchman became increasingly withdrawn from her support network. They say Mohammed discouraged her from visiting relatives, limited her communication with friends, and pressured her to leave jobs because he disliked the attention she received.
“She loved people — she was always the one to light up a room,” Mark said. “But he wanted her cut off from everyone.”
Her family says they struggled to understand why she stayed but hope others in similar circumstances will learn from her story.
“When a relationship reaches the point of threats or physical harm, leave,” Mark said. “Find a safe place and get out. It doesn’t stop.”
Sunday’s tragedy comes less than three weeks after another high-profile domestic violence case in Trinidad and Tobago, in which local councillor Romona Victor and her partner were found dead in their home in what police also described as an apparent murder-suicide.
Advocates say these back-to-back cases highlight a deepening crisis in the region, where domestic violence remains a persistent threat despite years of public campaigns, new laws, and community interventions.
