Two persons have been detained for questioning over the murder of 86-year-old Agnes Dillon, whose death has mystified residents in the Mon Repos community.

The octogenarian, who lived alone in a rundown insecure bottom flat of a house at Lot 32 Mon Repos North, East Coast Demerara, was found stabbed to death in her bed on Thursday morning by neighbours.

Police sources have confirmed that two persons have been detained in connection with Dillon’s murder.

Residents told Stabroek News that one of them was recently released from prison, while the other is a known drug addict in the area.

Landlord Rookminie Goordat, 74, who lives in the top flat of the two-storey building where Dillon was found dead, said that she last saw the pensioner washing clothes on Wednesday afternoon. The woman said she did not see or hear anything unusual on Wednesday night. However, according to her, she felt something was “wrong” when she didn’t hear Dillon making her usual noises the next morning.

Goordat explained that every morning around 06:00 hrs Dillon would wake up, go outside to “wash her mouth” and then go back inside where she would loudly bang her dishes and furniture.

The frightened woman said she called several persons, including her neighbor, to see why the woman was not up. “I say she must be fall, or in a coma,” she explained.

According to her, after several unsuccessful attempts to open the door, a neighbour went around to the side of the apartment where he peered through a “rotten” window and saw Dillon lying in a pool of blood. The neighbour, according to her, pried open the door and when they realised that Dillon was dead, they called the police.

While the hapless woman locked her door and two windows, there was a third opening that had only a part of a window, and it is believed to have been used by the murderer/s to gain entry into the apartment.

When asked if Dillon’ relatives were notified of her death, Goordat, said that the only relatives she knew the woman had were two sons who live overseas. She noted that the news of the murder was put on the “internet” and she hopes the woman’s children see it. She also disclosed that a young man would come by at times and buy groceries for Dillon. She said that she hadn’t seen the man in a while. The woman noted that she is scared for her own safety, since she also lives alone.

Residents of the area are puzzled as to why someone would want to kill the octogenarian, since she didn’t seem to possess anything of material value.