Guyana beauty queen sought again in spouse's death

GEORGETOWN, Guyana (AP) — A former beauty queen who was first accused in her husband's death three years ago is facing new murder charges.



The suspect, Carolan Lynch, did not appear in court Wednesday and is being sought by authorities, Guyana police said Thursday.



Lynch was freed in 2007 after a magistrate found no evidence for the initial charges, but police spokesman John Sauers said prosecutors have ordered officers to refile the charges. He said no arrest warrant had yet been issued.



The prosecutor's office did not return calls for comment.



Lynch, who once won the Mrs. South America title, did not appear at two magistrate hearings in the last week to have the charges read to her. Her lawyer, Nigel Huges, did not return calls for comment, and Sauers said it was unclear if she is in the country.



Lynch was married to Farouk Razack, director of the largest currency exchange business in Guyana. He was found dead in May 2007 in the couple's bedroom.



Lynch has said she found his body after driving her daughter to school and thought he had suffered a stroke. But police said he was strangled after an autopsy found abrasions on his neck.



They said there were no signs of forced entry at the home.



Lynch had co-hosted a local television show and wrote a newspaper column about beauty. In 2007, she competed in the Mrs. World Pageant for married women in St. Petersburg, Russia.