Latest update December 12th, 2024 1:00 AM
Aug 06, 2015 News
The Serious Crime Investigations Unit (SCIU) of the Guyana Police Force continues to score points by cracking another high profile crime.
This time it’s the execution-style killing of Seaman Davonan Sookram whose decomposed body was discovered in Ruby Backdam, East Bank Essequibo, with two bullet wounds to the head.
Working in collaboration with detectives from the police West Demerara Division, the SCIU, which is based at the headquarters of the Criminal Investigations Department, Eve Leary, was able to confirm that Sookram’s death was drug-related.
This was after their painstaking work led to the arrest of a suspect who later confessed to being involved in the killing of the 37-year-old seaman.
The suspect, who at first had denied any knowledge of Sookram’s killing, later changed his story after he was confronted with damning evidence obtained by the team of investigators.
Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum confirmed that the police have been able to build a case against the suspect, who he said will almost certainly be charged with murder.
Blanhum said that the police are also looking for another suspect who has been implicated by the man in custody.
He declined to give further details.
On Friday last, Sookram’s body was found near a trench at Ruby, East Bank Essequibo, three days after he was reported missing by his wife, Zuleema Sookram, a teacher of Lot Seven Philadelphia, East Bank Essequibo.
The woman had told police on the West Coast of Demerara that her husband had left their home last week Tuesday to go to Parika and did not return. A search was launched and around midday on Friday, Sookram’s body was found. The police said that a hole was seen in his forehead and another at the back of his head.
Following the discovery, police detained the suspect after receiving certain information.
Under intense interrogation, the suspect buckled and gave a detailed description of how Sookram was killed.
According to the information provided to this newspaper, Sookram who travelled overseas frequently as a seaman was involved in the trafficking of drugs from Guyana.
A source who was a part of the investigation told this newspaper that he (Sookram) was given a quantity of drugs which carried a large dollar value to smuggle into one of the countries he recently travelled to. He was to return the proceeds to the person who gave him the drug, but he did not.
That person is reportedly the other suspect being sought by the police.
This newspaper was told that the man in custody told investigators that he along with the other suspect went to Sookram’s home where they picked him up in a car and took him to the desolate Ruby Backdam and questioned him about the missing money or drugs. He said that during the confrontation, the other suspect became angry and shot Sookram in his head while they were sitting in the car.
Sookram reportedly died instantly and his body was dumped at the side of the road near a trench.
But as the killers were leaving their car got stuck in the sap of the Ruby backlands and they had to risk seeking the help of three residents to free the car.
The suspect in custody said that after the car was pulled out, he drove to Diamond where he dropped off his accomplice, before going to a car wash to clean his vehicle of Sookram’s blood.
But try as he might, he could not remove the smell of the blood.
He was detained shortly after by the police who were given information on the car that had picked up Sookram.
Upon examining the car, investigators were overwhelmed by the stench of blood.
Investigators had earlier interviewed the residents at Ruby Backdam who had helped to free the car.
They had related that Sookram’s killers appeared “jittery”, not wanting them to open the car doors, even if it was to assist in freeing the vehicle from the mud it had been stuck in.
As simple as it seems, it was this piece of information that proved pivotal in cracking the case.
The police used this to confront the suspect who had no other choice but to admit to his involvement.
“Putting two and two together, they were able to come up with a theory,” the source said.
Kaieteur News understands that although they have reportedly obtained a confession, investigators have taken samples from the suspect’s car to carry out DNA testing, so that an airtight case can be built.
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