Latest update December 2nd, 2024 1:00 AM
May 17, 2016 Court Stories, Features / Columnists, News
– PM confirms victim was beaten, manually strangled
Two girls, aged 17 and 15, are among five teens who will appear in court today to be charged with the murder
of 75-year-old retired professor Pairadeau Mars, who was bound, beaten and strangled last Thursday in his home. They are also likely to be charged with robbery.
Mars, a remigrant from the United States, was found slumped in a chair in the study of his Lot 395 Bissessar Street, Prashad Nagar home at around 19.00 hrs when his wife returned from a trip to Linden. His hands and feet were bound together with duct-tape, while duct-tape was also wrapped around his mouth.
A post mortem performed yesterday revealed that death was due to manual strangulation, compounded by multiple fractures to the head and face.
In custody last night were two girls, aged 17 and 15, and three young men, aged between 15 and 18. Police also detained a sixth individual who was allegedly found with an item that the alleged killers had stolen from Mars’ home.
Police recovered a laptop computer, a mobile phone, an Xbox play station and $20,000 in local currency after arresting the youths.
The teens have reportedly all admitted to robbing Mars, but also claimed that they had not planned to kill him.
The 17-year-old girl was known to Professor Mars, since she had previously lived a few doors away from the victim. She is also said to have been a frequent visitor to the home where the remigrant and his wife lived. He is said to have often given her small sums of money.
The teen has reportedly told police that after receiving a text message from Mars, she contacted her 16-year-old boyfriend and told him that the elderly man would be alone at home, and they could rob him. The boyfriend reportedly then contacted some of his friends, who became involved in the plot.
Shortly after 14.00 hrs on Thursday, the 17-year-old and a 15-year-old girl went to Mr. Mars’ residence and were invited in.
While the girls were in his study, the elder girl, who had left the front door open, reportedly texted her 17-year-old boyfriend and his associates and told them to enter the house.
The other youths reportedly then entered the study and bound Mr. Mars with duct tape. According to a statement given by the 17-year-old, the retired professor told the teens to take whatever they wanted, but to spare his life.
Instead, some of the youths gagged the elderly man, then beat and strangled him.
They then gathered up a laptop, play-station, cell phone and $25,000 and other items. After putting the items in suitcases they stopped a passing taxi, which took them to ‘C’ Field, Sophia.
Mr. Mars’ wife, Joan Mars, who was in Linden, spoke to her husband by phone at around 14.00 hrs. She failed to contact him after that. At around 19.00 hrs, the woman arrived home and found the front door open. She then entered the study and found her husband’s body.
Police were able to crack the case within hours after receiving a description of the 17-year-old girl. The alleged killers were also seen leaving the scene with suitcases and entering a car.
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