Latest update April 25th, 2024 12:59 AM
Nov 11, 2019 News
Why were they murdered? Will there ever be justice?
by Shikema Dey
As 2019 draws to a close, the Guyana Police Force’s investigative ranks have their hands full: robberies, missing persons, accidents, and murders. T
The crime list is endless. The police must be commended for their efforts to bring justice to the families of those who were brutally killed.
But some families are still waiting, hoping that one day some inkling of justice will come to light. With these cases, some appear random, some suspicious and some clear as day but all still cold, still unsolved.
Dead on a beach with a shot to the head
Robbery was ruled out as the motive behind the execution-style killing of a Surinamese rice exporter on January 14, 2019. His body, bearing a single gunshot wound to the head, was discovered on the No. 63 Beach, Corentyne, miles away from his home.
Still on his person was a small amount of US currency. Nitender Oemrawsingh’s body was identified by Suriname police as the businessman whose rice shipment was busted with over 2,000 kilos of cocaine.
Sources revealed that Oemrawsingh was set to turn himself in with his lawyer to Suriname police regarding the drug bust. But instead, he was dead.
Reports indicated that the businessman was executed by members of a gang who feared that he might have double crossed them.
Suspects were arrested and questioned but no concrete evidence was found to gain a conviction. So what really happened?
The secrets of the ‘Blacka’
The Canal at D’Urban Backlands dubbed the ‘Blacka’ holds many secrets. One of those secrets was the murder of ex-policeman Cyril Persaud. The 76-year-old retired police officer’s decomposed body was found floating in the canal on January 14.
The autopsy revealed that he died from blunt trauma to the head, compounded by compression injuries to the neck. Along with that, he also received injuries to his abdomen and bleeding to his nose.
Next to the man’s body, police found clothing and his pension book. He had been missing for two days. Family members were baffled as to how the man’s body ended up floating in the canal. He lived in Atlantic Ville.
Police had arrested ersaud’s step-son and his mother for questioning. But no other leads were discovered. Someone had killed the pensioner and dumped his lifeless body in the Blacka.
But the motive behind the killing is still unclear to this day.
Whose skull is this?
On January 31, police in Linden received a strange call. A skull was sitting on the Wismar Shore in the vicinity of the Mackenzie-Wismar Bridge.
When police arrived on the scene, they discovered what appeared to be a human skull, sporting a huge crack. State Pathologist, Nehaul Singh after examining the remains revealed several findings.
The skull appeared to be that of an African male no more than 25 years old. He said at one point, the skull was separated from the spine but not completely cut off.
Police suspected that the skull may have been the remnant of someone who had gone missing or might have drowned. The lists of missing persons were combed through but no connections were found.
Who stabbed the farmer?
“Dem come fah kill me” was the last thing that Naline Lalbachan heard from her husband before he drew his last breath. Deoprakash Lalbachan, 59, of Lot 22 Grant 1651, Crabwood Creek bled to death in the kitchen of his home on February 1.
He was stabbed five times. Robbery was the suspected motive until police unraveled the story fingering the dead farmer to be heavily involved in pesticide smuggling.
Investigators revealed that Lalbachan reportedly owed a large sum of money to known smugglers. They are believed to have hired the man’s ex employee to carry out the brutal hit.
A camouflage vest was discovered at the scene and sources revealed that the prime suspect, who was arrested and released, was wearing the same clothing hours before the murder.
Police are on the hunt for two suspects in connection with the murder. To date, those two suspects remain at large.
Aunty Nalo’s killers still roams
On May 2, bandits strangled popular businesswoman 56-year-old Nalinie ‘Nalo’ Persaud, while her husband was bound, gagged, and beaten in the couple’s shop.
The deed was allegedly done by four masked men who stormed into the couple’s home with the intent to rob and cart off valuables.
According to the woman’s husband, at 03.00 hrs, they were awoken by the bandits who instructed them not to scream. He relayed that his wife continuously screamed as she was held down by the armed men.
The intruders allegedly took the husband to the lower flat, tied him up and left him in a corner while they proceeded to ransack the home.
What baffled investigators was the fact that no one in the community of Albouystown heard the woman’s screams at the time of the incident.
It was only after a costumer discovered Persaud’s husband bound in the shop that an alarm was raised.
‘Nalo’ was discovered in bed with a rope tied around her neck. A post mortem revealed she had suffered compound injuries to the neck and blunt trauma to the head.
Several suspects were arrested and questioned. All were released. Investigators dabbled with robbery as the motive of the crime but this appeared shaky.
The businesswoman’s husband was also questioned.
THE LAND DISPUTE AND THE PENSIONER
On May 3, 74-year-old pensioner, Godfrey Branche was found stabbed to death at his Springlands, Corentyne home.
Branche, a former manager for the National Insurance Company lived alone and was last seen alive the day before he was killed.
His bloodied body was discovered lying on the floor of his home with the feet tied.
Since the man travels frequently to the US, robbery was suspected to be the motive. The killers had taken an undisclosed sum of cash from the man’s home. They had also removed the DVR for the surveillance cameras.
But robbery was ruled out after investigators discovered that Branche was involved in an ongoing land dispute. Police were said to have arrested a number of prime suspects, but no one was charged.
WHO HIRED THE FEMALE TAXI DRIVER?
The morning of May 19 brought news of a murdered taxi driver; 48-year-old Jennifer Indira Beepat.
Her body was found lying face-down in a trench in a desolate, bushy area behind the new La Parfaite Housing Scheme, West Bank Demerara.
The woman’s Toyota Premio, PXX 4114 was missing.
According to information, the woman received a mysterious call on Saturday, May 18, from someone who wished to hire her. She informed her base of this and indicted that she would not be working for the rest of the night.
This turned out to be the last drop she ever made.
Investigators are yet to determine who strangled the taxi driver and dumped her body in the trench. The woman’s missing car may reveal some answers about her death, but this too has never been found.
Who was the mysterious caller on the phone? The question still remains unanswered.
Secrets of a Presidential Guard
On July 1, Presidential Guard, Constable Winston Cooper, made his way to work, unaware of the dangers that awaited him.
He left his mother’s home on the corner of Mandela Avenue and made his way down to resume duties at the Presidential Guard Headquarters.
But a short while after, Cooper was found lying injured and unconscious near the gymnasium. Cooper was immediately rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital where he remained unconscious until his death on August 14.
Investigators revealed that from the autopsy report, Cooper may have been struck from behind. But the CCTV cameras in the area, gave no clues as to who attacked him.
WHO SHOT DIESEL BOSS?
The story relayed to the investigators was that on the night of July 27, wife of mechanic Roxanne Crawford woke up to find two masked men standing beside her bed.
Her screams alerted her sleeping husband, 44-year-old Reginald Atherly called ‘Deisel Boss,’ who up and ran out the room, with the men in pursuit.
While she attempted to shield her daughter from danger, gunshots rang out. Gathering courage, she ran to get a cutlass but returned to find her husband’s motionless body lying in front the door of their Lot G 26 Guyhoc Park home.
The men vanished. Robbery was believed to be the motive as investigations revealed that a quantity of money was removed from the mechanic’s home.
Suspects were questioned. Suspects were released. No one to date has been charged for the crime.
Jagdeo giving Exxon 102 cent to collect 2 cent.
Apr 25, 2024
By Rawle Toney Kaieteur Sports – The French Diplomatic Office in Guyana, in collaboration with the Guyana Olympic Association and UNICEF, hosted an exhibition on Tuesday evening at the...Kaieteur News – Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo, the General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party, persists in offering... more
By Sir Ronald Sanders Waterfalls Magazine – On April 10, the Permanent Council of the Organization of American States... more
Freedom of speech is our core value at Kaieteur News. If the letter/e-mail you sent was not published, and you believe that its contents were not libellous, let us know, please contact us by phone or email.
Feel free to send us your comments and/or criticisms.
Contact: 624-6456; 225-8452; 225-8458; 225-8463; 225-8465; 225-8473 or 225-8491.
Or by Email: [email protected] / [email protected]