It is now over two years since political activist and journalist Ronald Waddell was killed in a barrage of gunfire at his Subryanville home and his relatives believe that there is no real interest on the part of the authorities in bringing his killers to justice.
Waddell was ambushed by at least two gunmen on the night of January 31 at around 8. He had just turned his PFF 6636 Toyota Corona into his driveway when bullets rang out; hitting him in the back, face, head and rib cage. He was reportedly still breathing and was slumped over the steering wheel when police arrived on the scene, though he died before receiving treatment at the city hospital. Waddell had sustained more than 13 bullet wounds and died from shock and haemorrhage. Relatives had said he had just finished exercising in the park and those who killed him had to have been monitoring his movements carefully.
At the time Home Affairs Minister Gail Teixeira had said that she did not want the case to get “cold” though the murder has since fallen into the category of unsolved. However, the police are contending that the case remains open. In a recent interview Crime Chief Seelall Persaud told Stabroek News that the police had exhausted all possible leads and they were waiting on additional information. He noted too that several persons were held for questioning in connection with the murder but there was never enough evidence to press charges. Persaud said the police have given the Waddell case the same response and attention it has in many other execution-style killings such as the murders of Navin Serrao and Marcyn King and it is continuing investigations.
Waddell’s family had been outspoken about his murder and to date maintains that it was political.
Ovid Waddell Smith told this newspaper recently that he believed that the police had no interest in bringing his younger brother’s killers to justice and that it would remain unsolved like the killing of Monica Reece. Smith said that Agriculture Minister Satyadeow Sawh and his siblings were assassinated months after his brother and today a number of persons had been charged with these killings. “Our family deserved same but until now no one has been charged and we have no hope that we will ever get justice,” he said.
Commenting on his brother’s relationship with Buxton which had been the scene of a lot of violence in the period leading up to his death, Smith said many persons in the village had confidence in his brother and he sympathised with them. He said too his brother had referred to some men in the village as “resistance fighters” and that this may not have been pleasing to some persons. “But I don’t think that anyone would be charged and I believe that they wilfully not pursuing the matter because it seems as though who pays the piper will call the tune,” he said, restating his family’s view that the killing was political.
Killing
Police were examining many angles to Waddell’s killing including the possibility that it may have been committed by members of a killing squad. A police officer who had spoken to this newspaper on the basis of anonymity, had said that the police believed that the execution had been carried out by a city-based killing squad which had also been blamed for a number of execution-style murders.
A former policeman, a relative of murdered hit-man Axel Williams and a few others were questioned in relation to the murder, but to no avail. Teixeira was confident that Waddell’s murder would have been solved as persons had been coming forward with information.
However, although nine 7.62 spent shells were recovered from the scene, police had not been able to trace whether the weapons used had been used to commit other crimes. The gunmen were also believed to have used a shell-catcher.
Many perceptions had abounded about the reason for Waddell’s murder as he was known for his outspoken personality and had been removed from a ‘talk show’ hosted on NBTV Channel 9 because of controversial comments. However, he was soon back on air with his “Taking care of business” show where he voiced many of his concerns. Waddell’s family had said that he received many threats to his life but was determined that he was part of a cause and won’t let down those who depended on him.