“American”, the man who police say was holding the grenade in his hand when it exploded at the Stabroek Market square on Wednesday morning, may be involuntary remigrant Gordon Baird.
Ted Sabat, owner of Rainbow River Safari, told Stabroek News yesterday that he believes “American” is Baird, who worked with him three to four years ago. Baird, according to him, is in his late 40s or early 50s.
The man, Sabat said, worked as a tour guide and sometimes a stores operator for his company. The man, he recalled, was very honest and dependable. “After he stopped working with me I saw him several times after,” Sabat said. “The last time I saw him was at the Stabroek Market area.
He used to be cleaning out stalls and so on for people there.”
Sabat said that the Baird he remembers was also nicknamed “American” and “Yankee” and based on some pictures he has seen of the man’s body at the scene, he looks to be the same person. The deceased, according to him, had been imprisoned for shooting someone in the US and was subsequently deported.
The businessman described Baird as a “very educated” man who was determined to make efforts to return to the US after the five year period had elapsed. “He and I often had long conversations and he told me about his wife and children back in the US. But it has been so long and I can’t remember much of the details. I have to sit and reflect,” Sabat said.
The businessman further said that he had not yet contacted police because he was not sure exactly where to go. “I wouldn’t mind making a trip to the morgue to identify him formally,” he said.
He further said that since the incident he has not managed to find the man and other persons around the market area are saying that it is the same man who used to work for him.
Meanwhile, another family showed up at the Lyken’s Funeral Parlour yesterday claiming that the dead man was their relative, Troy Hollingsworth. Colin Bostwick, the man’s uncle, however, told Stabroek News yesterday that he did not believe the dead man was his nephew. “My sister is telling me that it is him because of this cut in his hand but this body is too tall and big up to be him,” Bostwick said.
Following the Wednesday morning explosion which left “American” dead and 18 injured, Bostwick said he visited various city locations in search of his nephew.
However, up to yesterday afternoon he was unable to locate the man. “He get deported like five to six years back and he does be pulling cart and so around the Water Street area,” Bostwick said.
Late last evening, when Stabroek News spoke with another relative, the person said that Hollingsworth had made contact with his mother who still lives in the US. “I get to understand that he call his mother and tell she is not he,” the relative said.
Despite this, neither Bostwick nor other relatives had seen Hollingsworth in person up to press time. His aunt, Beryl Sears continues to insist that the dead man may possibly be her nephew because of the scar in his palm.
Shortly after 10.30am that day hundreds of Guyanese in the Stabroek Market area heard the loud explosion which occurred at a stall at Brickdam and Cornhill Street near the Route 31 bus park area.
The explosion left the deceased with his face partially damaged and one of his arms was blown off.
The stall owner, Mark Hyman also known as ‘Bow-wow,’ was taken into police custody hours after the incident. Investigators have since told this newspaper that the man was held for further questioning because his story “just did not add up.” Crime Chief Seelall Persaud told Stabroek News yesterday that Hyman remained in police custody.
Further, Persaud said that the dead man had not been formally identified and police were still to get more clues on his identity. When this newspaper visited the Stabroek Market on Thursday vendors said that “American” was well known among them and described him as a “quiet” and “honest” man.
