Elderly woman found dead in suspected home invasion

2026-01-26 - 00:02

An elderly woman was found dead in her bedroom in what police suspect may have been a home invasion in Upper Barrackpore yesterday morning. Investigators are awaiting an autopsy to determine how 62-year-old Merril Sabessar died, but her Nissan Tiida was reported missing. Neighbours last saw Sabessar drinking coffee on her porch at Papourie Road around 6.30 am. She was a devout churchgoer, but when she failed to attend church and calls to her phone went unanswered, relatives grew concerned. Hours later, they went to her home and discovered her body in a bedroom. The back door of the house was reportedly open. Sabessar lived alone. Shocked by her death, neighbours described her as a quiet, jolly, and loving person. “This is a shock. It’s a very sad day for the community of Upper Barrackpore. It’s the first time we’ve encountered something like this here,” one resident said. Neighbours also recalled that Sabessar’s home was broken into last year. Officers from the Homicide Bureau Region 3 and the Southern Division attended the scene. Her body was removed by undertakers around 5 pm, and an autopsy is expected to be conducted this week at the Forensic Science Centre. Several relatives gathered at the home but declined to comment.