Tissa Abeysekera's mother-in-law's killers revealed

Tissa Abeysekera's mother-in-law had been killed by a former policeman ...
who had been employed in the house


Ida Margaret Fernando, mother of popular cinematographer the Late Tissa Abeysekera's wife was found mysteriously murdered in her room at Rajagiriya on September 29th and by now has been taken into custody by the police. The criminals have admitted to the killing and that they had committed the murder with the intention of robbing valuable items in the house. The murder had been committed by an employee in the house who had come with another accomplice.

At the time of the incident, 84 year old Mrs. Ida Margaret Fernando had been all alone in the house. As there was no response from her over a telephone call given to the deceased, her daughter had arrived at the mother's house and had found the mother dead, lying on the bed of her room.

There were no signs of any wound or injury on the body of Mrs. Ida while the two gold rings on one of her fingers of one hand had been taken away.

She had been mysteriously murdered in a room in the house which stood in close proximity to a number of houses of the elite class down 5th Lane, Moragasmulla, Rajagiriya. The police who examined the recordings of CCTV cameras fitted onto neighbouring houses were able to gather a number of clues which provided the necessary evidence.

It was observed from the scenes of the CCTV cameras that 2 individuals had entered the house. It was seen from the recording that they had jumped over the wall of Mrs. Ida's house the previous day at about 8 in the night and had opened the gate and left the house the same night around 11 o'clock. Anyhow there were no signs whatsoever that the killers had opened the windows or had crept through the roof of the house. Therefore, the police suspected that the killers may have entered the house at a time when the door had been left open.

When the CCTV scenes were shown to Mrs. Ida's daughter by the police, she was able to identify that one of them  (main suspect) had been who had been employed there. Accordingly the police conducted further investigations to trace them. Subsequently  it was found that the main suspect happened to be a former constable while the other suspect was a Commando soldier; a deserter in the army.

The chief suspect confessed to the police that they went to the house with the motive of robbing the house and that he had a good knowledge of where and where valuables were kept in the house. He further said that he had told the deceased that he had come to a nearby place with his friend and that he thought of visiting her too. Having identified him, she too had struck up a conversation with him.However, at the moment when he began his operations, she had noticed this and thinking that she would inform the police, had decided to kill her by strangling her with his own hands.  

Police say that this police constable had been serving for 4 years with the Panadura, Walana Vice-squad unit and had been later dismissed from service. He is a resident of Poddala, 28 years of age and a father of 1 child. However, he had applied for his post by forwarding bogus documents to the effect that he was a bachelor. It was confirmed that during his period of service however,it was revealed that he had been already married, which resulted in his expulsion. Since his dismissal from police service, he had found employment in this house in the month of January, 2011. The 27 year old other suspect who deserted his position as a Commando soldier is an unmarried person.

The deceased Ida Margaret Fernando (84) was a retired nurse and was the mother of 9 children. She is the mother of Late Mr. Tissa Abeysekera's wife, Mrs. Asanka Monarawila Abeysekera. While 4 children of the deceased is in Australia, 3 other children of the deceased are resident in SriLanka.

Though Mrs. Ida with her husband Mr. Clansy Percy Fernando (86) and her daughter had been living in this Rajagiriya house where the murder took place; the day prior to the incident her husband and daughter had left for some necessity to her daughter's house in Mabole and she has had to spend the night alone in the house. As there was no response to a call given by the daughter to her mother who was staying alone, she had become worried and had come to the Rajagiriya house only to find the mother murdered and lying on the bed.

The police were able to locate the killers because of the CCTV cameras fitted to neighbouring houses. Legal steps have been taken in relation to the suspects.