A 59-year-old RK’s security guard, who was discovered last night by police unconscious and bleeding in the middle of a crowd at Regent Street and Avenue of the Republic, died shortly after being rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital.
The circumstances surrounding the death of Lennox Odeen, also known as Lennox Hughes, of Melanie Housing Scheme, East Coast Demerara are unclear. Stabroek News understands that a police officer, directing traffic along Avenue of the Republic last evening, was called to the scene by a member of the public.
Police sources told this newspaper that a woman informed the officer that a man was lying dead at the corner of Regent Street and the Avenue where City Hall is located. When the officer arrived at the location, the source reported, Odeen was lying unconscious on the road surrounded by a group of citizens.
“Up to now we [police] don’t know what really happened out there,” the source said late last night. “Some persons reported that Odeen was hit by a minibus which drove away while some persons reported that he was robbed and wounded…it is possible that they are mixing the incident up with another that happened around the same area earlier.”
The injured man was still alive when police arrived at the scene and he was placed in the tray of their van and rushed to the city hospital. Odeen, according to hospital sources, was motionless in the police van’s tray and “looked as good as dead” but it was apparent that the man was still struggling to breathe. A wound could be seen oozing on the man’s neck and there were abrasions to his head when he arrived at the medical institution shortly before 9pm.
“He had abrasions to the side of his head,” a hospital source reported, “and a puncture on the side of his neck…he was given when he came in ER [Emergency Room] but died about 15 minutes after his arrival.”
When Stabroek News visited the Regent Street and Avenue of the Republic location shortly after 9 pm everything appeared normal. A vendor recalled seeing Odeen lying on the road surrounded by a crowd but could not say what had happened to the man.
“Is about 8.30 [pm] I see the crowd there and when I peep lil I see a man lying on de road,” the vendor recalled, “but to tell you de truth I can’t remember hearing no vehicle knock this man or nothing but it had a lil accident around de same area earlier but that was another man.”
An unidentified man, who was reportedly hit by a minibus at short distance from where Odeen was found by police, was also rushed to the public hospital for medical attention. The man, according to hospital sources, was treated and admitted to the Male Surgical Ward. Police sources have meanwhile said that it is possible that persons are “confusing” Odeen’s incident with the other man.
Odeen was stationed at a Regent Street business place and would’ve most likely been walking to the East Coast bus park to make his way home when he sustained his injuries that proved fatal. Efforts made to contact the man’s employer last night were futile.
Odeen, relatives said, had been working with the security firm for a number of years and would normally get home around 8pm every night. He lived with his daughter and her child in the Melanie Housing Scheme.
The deceased, a cousin related, had been robbed and stabbed in the same area approximately one month ago. Odeen, the cousin said, had just been paid that night and was walking to the bus park like normal when he was attacked, robbed and stabbed by a man.
“He de tell we that this man come from behind he, choke he round he neck and when he resist de man start stabbin’ he in he back,” Odeen’s cousin related.
Odeen, according to his cousin, had spent some time at the Georgetown Public Hospital and had only been recently released. The man’s relatives were distraught and indicated that they were inclined to believe that Odeen was robbed and wounded again. Stabroek News, up to press time, was unable to confirm the circumstances surrounding the man’s death.
“Look eh,” one of Odeen’s relatives said, “it don’t matter how you poor they always coming for you and something always happening to you.”
The deceased’s daughter and other relatives were at the public hospital up to press time last night making final arrangements and were still awaiting confirmation from police about what really happened to their relative.
“If it had a whole crowd of people out there then somebody got to know,” a distraught relative stated. “I ain’t understand how these people saying two different things cause they got to know is wa happen to he [Odeen].”
