Dear Editor,

The Guyana Police Force is responding to an article published in the Kaieteur News on January 4 under the heading ‘Mother, daughter and baby placed in lockups.’

The article which dealt with the police investigations into the death of Edward Whinfield of Blueberry Hill, Wismar, stated that investigations into the murder of taxi driver Edward Whinfield took a controversial turn after police detained a mother and her two daughters including a baby in the Wisroc Police Station lockups.

The Guyana Police Force having examined this report has found it to have some inaccuracies, and wishes to say at the onset that a baby was not placed in the lockups at the Wisroc Police Outpost. Based on information received during investigations into the death of Edward Whinfield of Blueberry Hill, Wismar, whose body was found with marks of violence at Bamboo Turn, Rockstone, on December 31, 2009, at about 1400h on Saturday January 2, 2010, the police arrested Petel Reid, 40 years, of John Alley, Wismar, and her sixteen-year-old daughter.

At the time they were walking along the Christianburg Public Road, Wismar, and had a quantity of groceries in their possession. After they were told by the police ranks the reason for their arrest, Petel Reid requested to be allowed to take the groceries home and this was facilitated.

After leaving her home Petel Reid picked up her two-year-old daughter who was in the yard at the time in the company of other adult persons, including Reid’s reputed husband Ralph Cox called Ralph Benjamin. She was told by the police that she could not take the child with her to the Wisroc Police Outpost and that she should leave her with her reputed husband. Ralph Cox then said that he was going out and could not keep the child.

Petel Reid was then taken to the Wisroc Police Outpost along with her sixteen-year-old daughter and her two-year-old daughter. At the Outpost both Petel Reid and her sixteen-year-old daughter were passed through the records after which Petel Reid was placed to sit in a chair in the Enquiries Office with the two-year-old baby. Meanwhile her sixteen-year-old daughter was allowed to make a phone call to someone whom she asked to come to the outpost for the baby, after which she was placed in the lockups. About an hour later the reputed husband Ralph Cox came to the outpost and collected the two-year-old child from Petel Reid after which she was placed in the lockups.

The Guyana Police Force wishes to reiterate that at no time was Petel Reid placed with her baby in the lockups at the Wisroc Police Outpost.

Yours faithfully,
Ivelaw Whittaker
Public Relations and
Press Officer
Guyana Police Force