Within the last five days investigators have made two failed attempts to identify the deceased called ‘American’ or ‘Yankee’, who they believe was holding the grenade which exploded at the Stabroek Market area last Wednesday.
Crime Chief Seelall Persaud, speaking briefly with Stabroek News yesterday afternoon, confirmed that the dead man remains unidentified and stressed that police are continuing to make efforts to identify him.
Some time yesterday morning the relative of a man named Gordon Baird contacted Criminal Investigation Department ranks at the Brickdam Police Station. Wayne James was taken to the Lyken’s Funeral Parlour where he swore the body in the morgue was his cousin Baird, an involuntary remigrant (deportee).
Last Friday, businessman Ted Sabat told this newspaper that based on the description and pictures he had seen in the media he thought the dead man might be Baird who worked for him several years ago. However, hours after James identified the body as his cousin this newspaper found Baird alive and well at the Night Shelter located in East La Penitence, Georgetown.
James told Stabroek News that the dead man’s face was badly damaged and it was a scar on his leg which prompted him to believe it was his cousin. However, the man later saw Baird at the Night Shelter.
Baird, 53, told Stabroek News that he did not have a scar on his leg but his older brother who lives in the US has a scar. The man said that it was only recently that he met his cousin James and he was at the man’s house only two days ago. “When I visited his house he was not at home but I spoke with his son … I don’t know if they didn’t tell him I was there,” Baird said.
The man said that he was not surprised that people had confused his identity with that of the deceased. He explained that both he and the dead man had the nickname ‘Yankee’ because of their statuses as involuntary remigrants.
“I used to work on the market with the guy that is dead,” Baird said, “and since I know him he’s been working with that man Bow-Wow [Mark Hyman].”
Shortly after 10.30 am last Wednesday the deceased had been cleaning out a stall owned by Hyman when the explosion occurred. ‘American’ was killed and 18 other persons injured.
Baird told this newspaper that he knew the deceased more than most persons. While the vendors referred to the dead man as ‘American’ or ‘Yankee’ other persons who knew him called him ‘DJ’, Baird said. The deceased, according to him, was a very quiet person and “wouldn’t just speak to people like that”.
While he was at the market, Baird said, he and ‘DJ’ slept behind the Stabroek Market area at a place called Stelling View but more popularly known as Donkey City. He further said that ‘DJ’ had a “drug” problem.
“I don’t mean any disrespect to the dead,” Baird said, “But ‘DJ’ was the sort of guy who paints the junkie image. He carried around a salt bag with odds and ends and he went through the garbage and ate from it and he looked for odd pieces of junk he could sell to people,” Baird recalled. “He would do what he had to do for the vendors and he did it honestly because he knew that if he messed with them then he would have no way to make a little money.”
Meanwhile, at a press conference following the explosion Police Commissioner Henry Greene had said that it was suspected that the dead man was a courier of illegal arms and other substances. However, vendors and other persons who interacted with the dead man said that he did not fit the profile. Sources had told Stabroek News that the deceased was a delivery man for a supplier of such items.
“You know I really can’t pronounce on whether or not he used to deliver stuff like that for anyone… people out on the market will do all sorts of things for to make some cash and it’s amazing the people we meet out there,” Baird said. Another associate of the deceased, who requested anonymity, told this newspaper that since the incident people have been saying all kinds of things about ‘American’. “There is too much speculation about this whole thing and even the police don’t know what they are digging at here,” the man said.
The deceased, he told Stabroek News yesterday, fetched about a “salt bag” with him. On Wednesday morning, he said, reiterating some of what a woman told this newspaper last week, ‘American’ was seen speaking with a man.
“I wasn’t there to see him but on the park there is always one of us knocking about the area,” he explained referring to other homeless men who worked in the market area, “and persons who I have spoken with told me that they see this man give ‘American’ $3,000 and something to put in his salt bag. ‘American’ was walking about all morning that morning with that bag and when he went inside to pullout it out pop went the weasel.”
The man further said that while he knew ‘American’ was an involuntary remigrant like himself he did not know anything “personal” about him. “That is one man who did speak about his life before the market,” the man said.
