Couple Dies By Suicide On Their 26th Wedding Anniversary In Nagpur; Investigation Underway

Nagpur, 9th January 2025: A tragic incident occurred in Nagpur, Maharashtra, where a husband and wife took their own lives on the evening of their 26th wedding anniversary. The shocking act has left behind unanswered questions and a heart-wrenching farewell.

On Tuesday, (7th January) the couple celebrated their anniversary with great enthusiasm, even recording a video and uploading it on their WhatsApp status before taking the fatal step. They were seen in their wedding attire, sharing a final moment together. Shortly after, they both died by hanging with a nylon rope at their residence.

The bodies of Jeryl Damson Oscar Moncrieff (57) and his wife, Anne (46), were discovered in separate parts of their home. Anne’s body was found in the drawing room, wrapped in a white cloth with flowers scattered around it, wearing the wedding dress she had worn 26 years earlier. Jeryl’s body was found hanging in the kitchen. Police suspect that Jeryl allowed his wife to take her own life first, covering her body with a cloth and placing flowers around her before taking his life.

The couple, who had no children, updated their social media status with a farewell message and uploaded two suicide notes. These notes, which did not blame anyone for their decision, included an informal will, asking family members to ensure the smooth distribution of property among their relatives. Their final video, uploaded at 5.47 am by Anne, expressed her wish for the family to care for their relatives’ children and conveyed best wishes before she ended her life.

The couple’s wish to be buried together in a single coffin was honored, with their bodies being laid to rest holding hands at the Jaripatka Catholic Cemetery on the evening of 7th January. Vijay Alick Michael, a third-generation mortician, remarked that it was the first time in his five-decade career that he had prepared a coffin for a couple to be buried together in such a manner.

Jerril, a former chef who had left his hotel job during the COVID-19 pandemic, was known to lend money at interest. Anne had been a housewife. Family members were alerted to the situation after seeing Anne’s social media post early in the morning. When relatives arrived at their home, they found the couple already deceased.

Senior Inspector Arun Shirshat from the Jaripatka police station confirmed that the case appeared to be a suicide, with no foul play suspected. The bodies were sent for post-mortem at Mayo Hospital before being handed over to the family. An accidental death case has been registered, and the police are sending the couple’s mobile phones to the Regional Forensic Science Laboratory for further investigation.