Police investigators are following leads that the theft of liquor led to the fatal beating of logger McLean Benjamin at Timehri and they are still grilling six persons who were taken into custody. A senior police official told this newspaper that Benjamin, 55, whose body was found around 0730 hours on Monday, was reportedly beaten after he was accused of stealing liquor by some of the persons now in custody. Benjamin had been partaking in activities at a ‘wedding house’ in the area. The official said that the owner of a house near to where the body was found is among those being held. Several pieces of men’s clothing were collected from the man’s home by police, hours after the discovery was made. It is still unclear if spots of blood were found on them. Meanwhile, when contacted Crime Chief Seelall Persaud would only say that police have some information that suggested a motive and he confirmed that six persons, comprising four men and two women, were still in police custody.
Reports are that a woman picking up bottles in a yard next door to the ‘wedding house’ stumbled upon Benjamin, who was lying face down. Two pieces of wood, believed to be the murder weapons, were left on top his body.
Police from the nearby Timehri Police Station were immediately informed.
Residents of the area did not recall hearing any strange sounds during Sunday night into Monday morning, since the music from the wedding house was very loud. One resident recalled seeing Benjamin when she left the location late Sunday night.
