The police are currently treating the death of 59 year-old Parish Court Judge Ruth Lawrence as a case of suspected suicide. Lawrence was pronounced dead Tuesday evening at the Falmouth Public General Hospital.
“By virtue of the initial investigation so far, which is really in the early stages, we are considering what transpired with Judge Ruth Lawrence’s passing as a suspected case of suicide for now, pending further investigation,” Acting Commissioner of Police (ACP) Glendon Miller in charge of the Area One Police Division, told one876entertainment.com
Musician Prince Smith of a Coral Springs Garden address in Trelawny, reported that at approximately 5:00 a.m. on the date in question, he knocked on the deceased’s bedroom door to invite her for their regular morning run. He stated that she did not respond, which was unusual. Believing she may have been resting or unwell, he proceeded with his run alone.
Upon returning, Mr. Smith said he prepared breakfast and lunch for the deceased. By 9:00 a.m., he observed that she still had not exited the room to go to court, which was her usual weekday routine. He assumed she may have called in sick and attempted to call out to her but received no response.
Between 1:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m., Mr. Smith approached the bathroom door and heard the deceased moaning and groaning, as though experiencing abdominal pain or diarrhea. At approximately 4:00 p.m., he again knocked on her door and asked if she was okay. He reported that she responded in anguish, saying she could not move.
Concerned, Mr. Smith went outside and looked through the bathroom window, where he observed the deceased lying partially naked on the bathroom floor.
He then re-entered the apartment. After he threatened to contact the police, the deceased reportedly dragged herself to the door and opened it slightly. Mr. Smith opened the door open and found her lying on the ground, still responsive. He noted the presence of faeces and vomit nearby.
The deceased allegedly told him that her stomach was burning and that she had ingested poison. Mr. Smith stated he attempted to assist her by cleaning her up and giving her charcoal, believing it could help neutralize the effects of the substance.
He then placed her on the bed and began to clean the apartment. While doing so, he discovered a bottle containing a blue liquid, which he recognized as Paraquat, a toxic chemical herbicide commonly associated with fatal poisoning.
Sometime after 7pm he observed that she was unresponsive but he reports that he could still hear her heartbeat. He transported to the Falmouth hospital where at she was pronounced dead by doctor O. McKenzie at 7:18pm.
Her CPO Dist. Constable P. Sterling brought her to the doctor Godfrey yesterday where she obtained a three days sick leave and left it with him for him to drop off at the courts office which he did on this morning.
Additional Context Provided by Spouse:
Mr. Smith further disclosed that in recent weeks, the deceased had appeared visibly stressed and emotionally burdened, particularly regarding work-related matters. He stated that she had been expressing distress about her job and was deeply troubled by an impending job transfer. According to him, the situation had been weighing heavily on her, although she had not previously made any mention of self-harm or suicidal intent.
