Police investigate suspected suicide of Bordelais employee

Police here are investigating yet another apparent suicide. The incident which occurred in Vieux Fort on Saturday January 5, 2013 follows the suicide of a 15-year-old on December 26, 2012 in that same town.
On that day, the body of 15-year-old Jasma Josephine Lubin was discovered by her father Andy Lubin suspended by a rope from her bedroom ceiling according to police. Jasma’s father later told reporters that his daughter had spent Christmas night away from home. He questioned her about her whereabouts and she reportedly said she spent the night with her aunt which the father sought to verify. It was upon his return home that her body was discovered.                  Lubin, a form three student of the Vieux Fort Comprehensive Secondary School, was transported to St Jude’s hospital where she was pronounced dead on arrival and police later discovered a note which she apparently left behind. An autopsy on December 27 confirmed the suicide.
In the latest incident, Cuthbert Duplesis of La Ressource, Vieux Fort collapsed near St Jude’s Hospital on Saturday. One family member requesting anonymity told the STAR this week that Duplesis who was employed at the Bordelais Correctional Facility in the accounts department had apparently ingested a poisonous substance.
“Recently we heard that there were some investigations going on in the accounts department at Bordelais and this became a source of worry for Duplesis,” our source says. We were also informed that the 41-year-old had suffered an apparent mild heart attack back in December while attending a wedding and had to be rushed to the hospital.

The deputy director of corrections at Bordelais confirmed with the STAR that Duplesis was indeed employed with Bordelais Correctional Facility as their accountant. She refused however to confirm or deny that he was on suspension as part of an ongoing investigation at the time of his passing.
Last Friday Duplesis reportedly asked a friend for some of the weedicide called “Touchdown” which he said was promised to another friend. Family members are convinced that this was what Duplesis ingested on Saturday before he died.                 Touchdown (glyphosate) is a non-selective herbicide for the control of virtually all annual and perennial weeds. It is absorbed through leaves and stems of treated plants and then translocate throughout the plant, causing death of both foliage and roots. Touchdown and Gramoxone are two popular herbicides used by farmers in Saint Lucia.                 However both have also been used over the years by several individuals here attempting suicide, raising the debate each time about the easy access to those dangerous, poisonous and hazardous chemicals.
An autopsy of Cuthbert Duplesis’ body was supposed to have been conducted yesterday, January 8 at 1pm after which the police have promised to release the official findings.
The deceased leaves behind two children Saturday January 5 the day of his passing being the birthday of his eight year old son.