Bagotville murder…Victim’s friend gets death threat from alleged killer

May 02, 2015 News

A close friend of murder victim Donessa Barker says that Barker’s alleged killer contacted her yesterday and warned that she would be his next victim.

Alan Barker and his slain spouse, Donessa Barker

The friend, Sheniza Clarke, had tried to save Barker, after the 28-year-old woman was stabbed multiple times at Clarke’s Bagotville, West Bank Demerara home on Thursday. The prime suspect is Barker’s husband, Alan Barker, who is still at large.
But Clarke believes that the fugitive contacted her by phone yesterday morning.
The woman said that at around 07.00 hrs, a man, who did not identify himself, called from a blocked number.
According to Clarke, the caller first “give me sympathy”, before enquiring about Donessa. “I say Donessa dead, and he say ‘wha?’ and I say (again) that Donessa dead. He say that I is the cause for Donessa’s death and that I better look out or I would be next.”
Clarke alleged that it was only after she had hung up the phone that she realised that the caller was Donessa’s husband. The woman said that she made a report to the police.
Expressing fear for her safety, Clarke believes that the fugitive sneaked into her home and stole some food on Thursday night while she was giving a statement at La Grange Police Station pertaining to her friend’s death.
The alleged killer is believed to have made off with the slain woman’s cell phone. There are reports that he was seen purchasing a phone card in Bagotville, some hours after the murder.
Barker, also called ‘Nabine’, collapsed on the front stairs of Clarke’s Lot 21, Inner Bagotville home at around 16.30 hrs on Thursday after sustaining at least eight stab wounds to her neck, left side and other parts of her body.
Clarke had said that Donessa went inside for her phone and shortly after, she heard her friend scream “Oh God…Sheniza, come fast.” Clarke said that Donessa then ran outside and collapsed on the front steps.
Clarke recalled seeing blood gushing from a wound near her friend’s left shoulder. She immediately tried to staunch the blood, but her friend eventually lapsed into unconsciousness and succumbed, despite efforts to revive her and get her to a hospital.
The woman alleged that Donessa Barker’s husband, who had sneaked into the house, escaped through a window after attacking his spouse.
She claimed that the man was angry because Donessa wanted to end the relationship. He had reportedly threatened to kill his wife on Wednesday. A report was made at La Grange Police Station.
The couple was married last year and they have a daughter who would be two years-old in June.
Relatives said that Donessa had lived at Vergenoegen, East Bank Essequibo, but moved with her husband to Bagotville about a month ago.
A cousin, Dumisa Thomas, described the suspect as an abusive husband who had once doused his wife with hot water. She said that Donessa had however denied that her husband had inflicted the injury.