Family, friends devastated over death of 36-year-old Windsor woman

Fartumo Kusow, right, and her daughter Sahra Bulle, left.  (Fartumo Kusow via Instagram - image credit)
Fartumo Kusow, right, and her daughter Sahra Bulle, left. (Fartumo Kusow via Instagram - image credit)

The mother of a Windsor woman who has died said in a Facebook post that she is "shattered" by the news.

After Fartumo Kusow's daughter, Sahra Bulle, went missing on May 26, she taped up multiple missing person posters across the city and posted pleas on social media for people to help find her daughter.

But less than two weeks after the 36-year-old's disappearance, Windsor police charged Bulle's estranged husband with her murder.

"I have no words to describe the depth of my sadness and height of my rage," Kusow's Facebook post reads.

Kusow shared that Bulle was not only a "beautiful daughter," but she was also a granddaughter, friend, aunt and cousin. Signs posted across the city also said Bulle was a University of Windsor student.

"Please continue to pray for my daughter's eternal peace and my family's patience as we get through this unimaginable loss...," reads Kusow's post.

Fartumo Kusow via Facebook
Fartumo Kusow via Facebook

Leslie McGraw is a friend of Kusow's — she says the two met through a writing group in Ann Arbor, Mich.

McGraw says she often shares posts online of missing people and so she did the same when she saw Kusow's daughter was missing. Though she never met Bulle, she says she heard of her through Kusow.

"[Kusow] has so much love and dedication to her family," she said.

"[Bulle] is a beautiful girl ... and I was hoping for the best, but also preparing for whatever news might come."

She says their writing group is all "broken-hearted" for Kusow.

"It's such a blow, such a tragedy," she said.

"The tentacles of this type of grief and tragedy they are long and they're wide. To think that she's in Windsor and we're over here hurting in Ann Arbor ... just gives you a sampling. But everybody that has been rooting and praying and thinking of her safe return is affected."

Jennifer La Grassa/CBC
Jennifer La Grassa/CBC

In an email to CBC News, the University of Windsor's associate vice-president of student experience, Shetina Jones, said "on behalf of the University of Windsor community, our thoughts and prayers are with Sahra's family and friends suffering this tragic loss."

She said counselling supports are available for staff and students who might need to speak with someone.