The Murdered Marisha Cheong
Rockaway, Queens, New York
24 year old Long Island University student Marisha Cheong vanished from her home in Jamaica, Queens, New York on the morning of December 20, 2012. Her Ipad, which she brought everywhere with her, was left behind, along with both of her winter coats.
She was last seen on security camera footage being pulled by her arm out of her home by a woman. According to authorities, she did not go willingly.
She was living in Jamaica with her boyfriend of five years, Latchman J. Balkaran, who was a delivery driver. He told police he was supposed to pick Marisha up at the Forest Hills Subway sandwich shop on December 19th but she never arrived there.
When Marisha failed to show up for her brother’s birthday party and wouldn’t answer her siblings FaceTimes, the family knew something was very wrong.
Marisha’s mother Bibi, said her daughter would call her every day, but on December 20th, she received text messages from Marisha’s phone. One of the texts read “mom i am fine . I just need Little time to think . Am good.”
She says Marisha never called her “mom,” always “mommy.” She does not believe her daughter was the one texting her.
It wasn’t until February 16, 2013 when Marisha’s lifeless body was found washed up at the shoreline of Rockaway Boulevard and Bayside Avenue in Breezy Point, New York. According to her mother, her hands and feet were bound with green rope and she had a broken neck and broken arms. She was wearing pajama bottoms and a grey sweatshirt, with only one ugg boot on. She had wired headphones tangled in her hair.
Latchman Balkaran has given several stories. He started telling authorities that Marisha suddenly dumped him over text and ran away with a mystery man.
Bibi doesn’t believe him. She says Latchman and Marisha were having financial issues, and he was controlling, jealous, and obsessive. She finds it suspicious that he never showed much emotion towards her death. He ceased contact with the family and did not even try to help search for her. He was asked not to come to her funeral and he didn’t protest.
Latchman insists he had nothing to do with her disappearance, however he did admit at some point that he and Marisha argued on the morning she disappeared.
Police are still looking to question the unidentified woman in the footage.
Marisha deserves justice and is greatly missed by loved ones.
If you have any further information, please contact the Queens District Attorney at 718-286-6300, or you can call NY Crimestoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS. If you speak Spanish, you can call 1-888-57-PISTA.
Sources:
https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/police-missing-marisha-cheong-of-jamaica-did-not-disappear-voluntarily/
https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/marisha-cheong-cold-case/
https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/police-looking-to-question-woman-seen-on-video-with-queens-murder-victim/
https://abc7ny.com/archive/9290111/
https://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/body-of-missing-ny-woman-washes-up-on-beach/8/
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/marisha-cheong-found-body-of-missing-nyc-woman-washes-ashore-in-queens-ny/
https://nypost.com/2013/02/19/beach-body-feud-beau-mom-at-odds-over-who-killed-co-ed-found-in-breezy-point/
https://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/people/marisha-cheong/
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/thrown-away-trash-mom-grieves-after-daughter-found-dead-ny-flna1c8423205
https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/video/looking-into-marisha-cheongs-death-in-cold-case-with-alice-gainer/
https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/marisha-cheong-surveillance-video/1987822/
https://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20130224/south-ozone-park/family-mourns-marisha-cheong-at-funeral-without-boyfriend/
https://abc7ny.com/archive/8996903/
https://www.liherald.com/stories/missing-womans-death-stuns-family,46107
https://qns.com/2013/02/family-seeks-answers-after-woman-found-in-breezy-pt/
The Lost & The Taken 
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