Hopes of the police ever finding the killers of activist and talk show host Ronald Waddell have begun to fade one year after they pumped 13 bullets into his body outside his Subryanville home.
Waddell, then 57, was a father of four whose commentaries on HBTV Channel Nine generated a lot of controversy. Police said yesterday that the matter was never pushed aside. “We are working on it, no case is ever thrown out,” a senior official of the force said.
When asked why up to now no one has been brought to justice, the officer said perhaps Waddell’s killers did not leave any trace for the investigators. Police had recovered nine spent shells from the scene and it was expected that these shells would have been matched with the high-powered weapons that were retrieved by the joint services recently. The brothers of dead ‘hitman’ Axel Williams as well as freed murder accused Shawn Hinds were arrested shortly after the murder, but they were all released.
Speaking about the first anniversary of his brother’s death, Ovid Smith said Waddell’s death meant nothing to the authorities. “So it would not bother them whether it is solved or not.” He referred this newspaper to statements made by former home affairs minister Gail Teixeira who had expressed optimism that Waddell’s killers would have been caught. He said too that the then crime chief and now Acting Commissioner of Police Henry Greene had declared when three of the suspects were released that despite them being freed no one was cleared.
Smith said more recently Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee told this newspaper in an interview that he wanted to see the police bring closure to Waddell’s murder case. “These were statements made by significant people…but they were all just statements no action,” Smith said.
Asked whether he was satisfied with the level of the police investigations, Smith charged that the police’s “hands are tied”.
He said Waddell’s family has been trying to keep his legacy alive, noting that a reading room was established in honour of his brother at the ACDA learning institution. Smith added that relatives continue to urge Waddell’s supporters to assist the poor and needy and donate blood. He said these were things Waddell held dearly and had he been alive he would have continued to make significant contributions in these areas.
“We are angry,” Smith commented when asked how Waddell’s family was coping. “We are not satisfied, nobody is happy that they have not brought anyone to justice.”
Waddell leaves behind his wife, Bonita Harris, his mother and four children.
Meanwhile, the Justice For Jermaine Committee hosted a night of reflection at the Square of the Revolution in observance of Waddell’s death last night. The JJC said in a release that Waddell was assassinated for shouting out truths and championing the pains of injustices in the face of all that is humanly evil. The group said Waddell’s death was covered up by “those with authority and tremendous blood money who together conspired to fulfil this assassination on the eve of Black History month.”
On the night of January 30 relatives said Waddell had gone out earlier to do his regular exercises and returned home around 6.30 pm. He did a few things around the house and prepared to leave again around 8 pm. Stabroek News was told that Waddell went through the gate, closed it and sat in his car. No sooner had he done this, than a bright light appeared in front of his Subryanville yard and gunshots followed. According to reports, a dark-coloured car took the gunmen to the scene. The car was reportedly parked on the northern half of the highway facing east and its occupants were apparently watching Waddell’s movements from the seawall. According to reports, as soon as Waddell stepped into the car, the two gunmen ran across the road and opened fire. They then ran back across the road, jumped into their car and sped away east along the highway.
