Suspects in two murders committed in the Cuyuni/ Mazaruni area during this month remain on the run and relatives are calling on the police to work harder to capture them.
Police officials yesterday informed this newspaper that they are still working to locate those responsible for the murders of Marvin Andries at Tamakay Landing on September 2 and Rawle Peters at Puruni Landing on September 20.
A still grief-stricken Jennifer Duncan told Stabroek News last week that two Thursdays ago she travelled to Tamakay Landing, where her eldest son, Andries, had been buried, to witness the post-mortem examination (PME). She said that before this was done, she identified the remains as those of Andries. The woman said PME revealed that he died from a fractured skull. He also sustained a deep gash in the right side shoulder and multiple “lashes” to various parts of the body, she added.
Duncan said police told her then that they are continuing their investigations but she has not since been updated on the progress made. She express the opinion that the police did not do all they could to apprehend the suspects, who worked with Andries at a mining camp. “I would like to see them [the police] make an effort to get them so that I can get justice. Nothing can bring him back but I want justice,” she said.
Duncan also said she was disappointed with the police investigation as no other miners at the camp were held for questioning. She said she was told that several persons were hitting her son with pieces of wood but there were three “main persons”.
“My son died a painful death. After they beat he, they left him under a tree and
he was crying out for help for hours until a lady he use to work with transported he out but he died before he reach the landing,” the woman added.
The woman said that what pains her is that it was multiple persons who beat her son.
“Is not like is one person beat he. Three names calling… If I can’t get justice, what world are we living in?” she added.
Police initially reported that Andries was allegedly caught raiding the “sluice box” and was reportedly beaten. His family, however, subsequently denied the claim that he was a thief. According to them, Andries had repeatedly complained about not been paid by his employers and had demanded the money that was owed to him the day before he was killed.
Meanwhile, the police are still looking for the suspect in the Peters’ murder. Relatives of the dead man believe the suspect is hiding out in the backdam. Pamela Lewis said she has been informed that the suspect in her son’s murder goes to his uncle’s shop on the landing and collects meals before returning to his hideout in the backdam. She hoped he would be caught and stressed the need for police to be stationed in the area.
Peters, called ‘Papaw’ and ‘Dumb Boy,’ of Lot 21 North Haslington, East Coast Demerara, was fatally stabbed following an altercation. He succumbed on the Puruni trail while efforts were being made to transport him to the Bartica Hospital. Relatives have said his size would have made it impossible for one person to successfully attack him and they opined that more than one person carried out the attack.
This newspaper was told that Peters had told relatives that he was threatened during a fight some time ago. It is suspected that the attack stemmed from this old misunderstanding.