The mother of alleged murder victim Hannah Mathura has died.

Alana Giroud Mathura, 63, who was before the courts accused of murdering her daughter, died in hospital yesterday. She was charged along with her husband Andrew Mathura, 66.

Police confirmed yesterday afternoon that Mathura complained of feeling unwell while in the women’s prison, Golden Grove, Arouca, and was taken by prison authorities to the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex, Mt Hope, where she died while receiving treatment.

An autopsy is expected to be conducted on Monday at the Forensic Science Centre, Federation Park.

On October 16, both Alana and her husband appeared before Magistrate Sarah De Silva in Tunapuna Magistrates’ Court charged with murdering their daughter on an unknown date between July 8, 2017 and March 13, 2024.

The case is expected to return for a status hearing on March 25, 2026 and a sufficiency hearing on April 1, 2026.

On March 12 this year, North Central Division officers descended on the Butu couple’s Road, Valsayn South home after being tipped off about alleged illegal activities on the premises. A suspect, upon seeing the police, fled the scene in a red Kia sedan.

After securing the occupants of the home and getting them medical treatment, police were informed that Hannah had been buried in the backyard. Officers excavated a 15-by-20-foot area there and found his remains.

An autopsy performed the next day at the Forensic Science Center revealed that there were holes in her skull that appeared to be consistent with gunshot wounds.

DNA testing was also ordered to confirm Hanna’s identity and samples were taken from her parents and sent for testing.

Last seen in 2017

Neighbors claimed they last saw Hannah sometime in 2017 and believed she was 18 at the time.

A neighbor who spoke to the Express claimed the teenager was abused by “someone” in the house and added that she contacted the St Joseph police about seven or eight times but claimed she never visited the house.

The neighbor recalled that in 2017, when Hannah was believed to be missing, she started noticing a stench, but thought it was a dead dog buried in the yard.

In the first phase of the investigation, the girl’s parents were initially arrested on March 13.

Their seven children helped police with inquiries and gave statements.

On March 19, officials from the Homicide Bureau approached Director of Public Prosecutions Roger Gaspard, SC, who scrutinized the files and then directed that the couple be released, further evidence being needed to form a prima facie case .

Since then, investigators had drawn up the file, which was handed back to Gaspard, who gave instructions to indict the couple on October 15.

Hannah’s father will now face the court alone on the murder charge.