She got the shocking news on Saturday, November 9th that the partly decomposed body of her “sister-in-law” Gloria Joan Celestine, who had gone missing a few days before, had been discovered. From all that Phelia Wilson told us, her sister in law was a kind and loving individual who did not deserve to be killed by someone. And although she was no longer with Wilson’s brother she was still considered part of their family any time she visited from Dominica. Wilson is also god-mother to one of Celestine’s children.
Wilson returned to Saint Lucia on Monday following what she described as the moving funeral of Gloria Joan Celestine, aka Farfana, of Portsmouth, Dominica. The funeral was on Saturday 15th November at the Dublanc Catholic Church and the body then laid to rest at the Dublanc cemetery.
“This is a very sad moment for her family and friends here in Vieux Fort,” Wilson says.
The 34 year old mother of four (and not five as previously reported) – three daughters and one son – was born in Dominica but moved to Saint Lucia in the late 90’s. After several years here she later resettled in her homeland. One of her four kids is Saint Lucian and now resides with her paternal family in Vieux Fort.
“Gloria was a very humble and loving young lady and she was expected to be back on island to celebrate her birthday on December 24th,” Wilson told the STAR on Monday. “She was a great mom to her kids and a very kind person with many friends from Vieux Fort.”
But now just memories of Gloria are what family and friends are left with as they grapple for explanations and reasons behind her killing. Gloria was discovered dead between a concrete wall and a house, three days after she was reported missing in Dominica. Lawmen there have held two men for questioning, one of them a Saint Lucian and Celestine’s common law husband. Celestine was last seen about 2:40 a.m. on Wednesday, November 6 at Memory Lane disco in Portsmouth, according to police reports.
Contrary to reports received by the STAR last week however, Wilson said Gloria was in the company of friends and not her daughter at the time. The family said that they have no idea as to why this happened. However they are hoping that the Dominica police carry out a thorough investigation into the matter.
Wilson is also hoping that the Dominican authorities keep their promise to assist Celestine’s children since she had been on a Government’s list for home repairs.
Celestine’s family described her as an unassuming individual who worked off and on as a caretaker in Dominica to provide for her children. When her body was discovered it was clothed in a blue vest and blue short jeans pants. It was the sort of casual manner in which she liked to dress family members say, adding that she was a very simple woman who was friendly with everyone.
It is for this reason they are finding it hard to make any connection between Celestine’s death and a motive as to why any persons or persons would want her dead. The STAR has also been informed that the family is yet to receive any official word from the Dominican authorities as to whether Celestine was sexually violated before she was murdered.
Meanwhile, another man was also taken into police custody in Dominica into an incident in which a Ross University student was found partially nude, with wounds to her body, in the Cabrits area of Dominica the same day that Celestine’s body was discovered.
The 26 year-old female student was treated at the Reginald Armour Medical Center and then transported to the Ross Medical School Clinic for further treatment. There has been no indication as to whether the two incidents are in any way connected.
