Two new victims were added to its death tally from separate incidents in the recent past.
In Kagua-Erave district of civil unrest torn Southern Highlands province, an Erave-stationed policeman shot his wife Jacklyn Mark who was killed instantly in their bedroom on Saturday night of August 11.
He was alleged to have used a police-issued firearm.
Late Jacklyn, 26, hails Porane village in Erave. She was a primary school teacher.
He comes from Yobomunuh village in Yangoru District of East Sepik Province.
In Mt Hagen town of Western Highlands province, Joyce Luit, 35, of Kanean village of Middle Wage in Enga’s Kandep district became the second latest victim in the hands of her former husband Kelly Waigin Waiap.
He is from Keso village in the same district.
Family members of the deceased told me that they did not formally get divorced, but they were living separately.
At the time of her passing, she was promoted to a new job within the Mill Department of Barrack Gold Mine in Enga province.
She is survived by her three children aged nine, six and three, and six siblings-four sisters and two brothers who are still in school.
According to them, the alleged killer also works at a mine in Morobe province. He is still on the run.
His new partner was accused to have aided him shopping late Joyce’s patella tendon with a sharp axe. Armed with a bush knife, she was manning the gate of the area where the violence happened.
(Patella Tendon is where all the thigh muscles meet and join with the patella of the knee.)
It was accounted that Kelly and his new spouse intruded into Late Joyce’s block near Hagen Technical College and attached her in the house.
Whilst being hospitalised, late Joyce managed to report to her relatives the ordeal that Kelly missed her twice with the sharp axe, but the third attempt inflicted a deep cut on the patella tendon.
She went onto saying she was not able to move as a result of the wound. She was bleeding severely for some hours until at 4pm a fellow Kandepion boy identified her, so she was taken to Mt Hagen General Hospital.
In her account, she was treated at the emergency ward until was referred to the surgical ward after two days. She was further moved to the theatre; the wounds were cleaned and dressed followed by suturing on 30th July. At 1.30pm on Sunday, August 5 she passed away.
Her relatives described the killing as a surprising and a great loss to the family.
“She is not only the first born in the family, but was the sole bread winner of her three children, two brothers and the four sisters. One huge burden thrown on them is their school fees which she takes care of,” they said.
In their words, because he was jealous of her new job, he slayed her.
