Police witnesses testifies in Travis Rudder murder PI

Sep 18, 2016 Court Stories, Features / Columnists, News

Two Police Corporals were called to testify when the preliminary inquiry (PI) into the murder of Travis Rudder Sr., continued on Thursday before Magistrate Judy Latchman in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.

MURDER ACCUSED: Orpheus Johnson

Orpheus Johnson, 28, of Craig, East Bank Demerara is currently on remand for the murder of Rudder, which occurred on June 21, 2015 at Nandy Park, East Bank Demerara.
Gunmen firing semi-automatic pistols through a bedroom window pumped 12 bullets into Rudder Sr., and a few more rounds into his wife and baby son, as they slept in the bedroom of their Lot 130 Nandy Park, East Bank Demerara home on June 21, last.
By the time the gunmen’s clips were empty, 26-year-old Rudder lay sprawled and lifeless on his bed; his 18-month old son, Travis Rudder Jr., badly wounded, with six gunshot wounds to the stomach and back, and Rudder’s reputed wife, Mawanza Gill, bleeding from gunshot wounds to both legs.
Detective Corporals Carlson Rockcliffe and Prim Narine, who are both stationed at the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Headquarters, Eve Leary, Georgetown, were called to give evidence.
Corporal Rockcliffe is attached to the Crime Laboratory; he is a crime scene photographer and technician. Corporal Narine is attached to the Major Crimes Investigation Unit. They assisted with investigations.
Police Corporal Bharrat Mangru is representing the prosecution.
The testimonies of both policemen were suspended until September 28.
Earlier this year, Johnson, a pork knocker, was committed to stand trial in the High Court for the murder of Gladson George, 32, who was killed on April 22, 2015 at Agricola Public Road, East Bank Demerara.
George, called ‘Brother’, 32, of Brutus Street, Agricola, was pronounced dead at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), minutes after he received two bullets to the head while he was sitting in a minibus. The man had just joined the bus and from all indications, his killer was trailing him and waited for the opportunity to strike.
Magistrate Latchman had ruled that a Prima Facie case was made out against the accused based on evidence led by Police Prosecutor Vishnu Hunt. Police Sergeant Michael Ramdass, who is stationed at the Felix Austin Police College, was the prosecution’s main witness.
Johnson is well known to law enforcement authorities. His criminal career dated way back to 2009, when he faced multiple charges; including murder, attempt murder and robbery under-arms. However, Johnson was not convicted on the charges.
He was tried and freed in the High Court for the 2009 murder of Brendon Charles, whose body was found in a yard a short distance from his Kaneville, East Bank Demerara residence.
Meanwhile, Rudder was accused of the March, 2007 murder of his 17-year-old ex-girlfriend Donnis King, who was shot in the stomach at her Bagotstown, East Bank Demerara home.
Rudder was arrested some six months after the killing, but was found not guilty in 2011.

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