Page 43 - September 2020 Digital Magazine

carefree smile. She was an avid runner,
gardener and a great cook. She practiced
healthy mindful living and she could cook
extremely healthy food which was tasty.
Sarmishtha was a trained singer of Indian
classical music and loved to teach and
perform music in many gatherings and
community events.
She was settled in Plano with her husband
of 16 years, Arindam and sons Neil and
Ryan; and she devoted her life to their
comfort, health and happiness. She was
an amazing mother, wife and a community
member.
THE WHOLE COMMNITY
CAME TOGETEHR TO
MOURN FOR THE LOVELY
LADY
The community was very shaken and they
came out in union to pay tribute to her and
support her family. It was heartwarming to
see layers of pairs of running shoes near
the site where she was killed. The silence of
the place, her picture surrounded by shoes
was very moving. A candle light peace vigil
was organized at the same place by Dallas
Bengali Association -Antorik. People
remembered her in silence with moist eyes
and prayed for her soul and her family.
A week later, the same day and place her
neighbors organized a memorial walk
at 6:30 am at the Jack Carter park. A
one-mile walk which ended with prayers
at the memorial area. Dedicated to her
love to run as she was an athlete. family
members, friends and neighbors gathered
to remember her life. It was attended by
over 400 people.
DesiPages
THE INVESTIGATION
(As per local news and FOX4)
Sarmishtha’s body was found by a passerby
around 7 a.m. in the creek-area. Initially,
the investigators had called her death a
homicide. She was attached with a deadly
weapon and moved approximate 135 feet
to the creek under legacy drive where she
would not likely be found.
The same morning a man named Bakari
Abiona Moncrief, 29, was arrested and
charged for a burglary that occurred
roughly 30-to-40 yards away from where
Sarmishtha’s body was found. Further
investigations had obtained a TV with
sweaty handprints at the burglary site. The
DNA testing of the sweaty hand print linked
the burglary and homicide investigations
together. The lab also found Sarmiishtha’s
DNA on Moncrief.
According to a police statement obtained
by the station, Moncrief was an out-of-state
resident “who was in town visiting relatives
from another city outside of Plano.” Moncrief
was being held with 1 million dollars bond
for the burglary but now up to 10-million-
dollar bond for capital murder. (As Reported
by FOX4 News)
Sarmishtha truly was a great soul that
departed too soon and will be missed
immensely. She has attracted a lot of love.
People who did not even know her came out
in her support. If she is watching she must
feel so proud. May her soul rest in peace.
May her family get the strength to deal with
this huge loss. They shall be in our prayers.
DFW | September 2020 VOL 19 | 43