Relatives of a New Amsterdam taxi driver who was beaten to death almost one year ago and dumped in a Corentyne canal, believe that several clues were overlooked leading to the police making “a mess of the case,” which is now at a standstill.
They are however clinging to the hope that one day the person/s who killed Trevor Kissoon, then 27 years old, will be brought to justice and the motive for their actions would be revealed. Kissoon’s lifeless body was pulled from a canal at Bramsfield, Number Seven Road, Corentyne on June 10 last year.
Several Berbice police officials told Stabroek News recently that no suspects were ever held and the taxi Kissoon was driving prior to the incident is yet to be recovered. According to one official, there was some talk about what might have led to the killing but no concrete evidence was ever found.
Stabroek News was told that the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) at Police Headquarters, Eve Leary is now handling the investigation.
A source close to the family said last week that it is frustrating to hear “we investigating; the investigation is ongoing!” from the police whenever updates are sought. The family last contacted ranks at the Central Police Station New Amsterdam and that was the line they got, which according to the source is the usual thing in almost every high-profile case in Berbice.
The source expressed belief that the police are dragging their feet because it is not an open and shut case and more so since nothing was caught on camera. During the interview it was stated that if “thing ain’t catch on tape in Berbice, cases have a very slim chance of being solved. One year done pass and until now we ain’t get nothing. I am disappointed at the way things are in Guyana because there are things that we expect from the police but they got a laid back attitude.”
It is believed that Kissoon who was attached to the J & N Taxi Service was killed while on his way to Rose Hall Town with several passengers, who have never been identified.
Owner of the New Amsterdam-based taxi service Satish Rajaram had told Stabroek News, that after receiving a call he sent Kissoon to Sheet Anchor Turn at East Canje to do a pick up at 10.50 pm. This was on June 9.
Kissoon contacted Rajaram via the radio set a few minutes later and informed him that he had made the pick-up and was on his way to Rose Hall Town. The “passengers” had made a special request for the “212 driver,” this newspaper had been told. While speaking to the boss, Kissoon had indicated that he was expected to make another pick up at Rose Hall and then drop off at Church View in New Amsterdam. From there he was supposed to head to Skeldon with one of the passengers. He also told his boss that he would return to base for a spare wheel.
It is unclear if at any point police attempted to trace the origin of the call that was made to the base on June 9.
Around 3 am the following morning (June 10), the young businessman had recounted hearing a strange voice on his radio set informing him that the taxi was on its way to Number. 36 Village.
He had told Stabroek News that he found it strange as only the drivers were authorized to use the radio sets. Around 8.30 am he made a report at the Central Police Station in New Amsterdam, but was told he had to wait until the 24-hour period had elapsed and then make a missing person’s report.
Fearing the worst, he formed a search party and around 11.30 am, Kissoon was found in the canal on the Corentyne with his feet in the air and the rest of the body from the waist submerged.
Strange behaviour
The source this newspaper spoke with said the circumstances surrounding the murder are strange but police did not bother to investigate thoroughly. One year later, he pointed out, relatives have more questions than answers.
Relatives believe that a close female acquaintance knew something since she had launched an early morning search without informing Kissoon’s family that he was missing.
The source explained that he found it strange that the woman would be conducting a search during the wee hours and that she had used a different taxi service rather than J&N. Stabroek News was told that checks were made with the taxi service the woman supposedly used but no record of her trip was found. According to the source the service made two trips to the Corentyne during that period when the woman reportedly went on her search; one was a return trip with a family of four and another was to drop off a female.
“There are so many discrepancies which leave a whole lot of questions. Why would she want to search at that hour?” the source said adding that the woman resided near Kissoon’s relatives but yet no effort was made to contact them for help. According to the source, those relatives had the means (in the form of vehicles) to conduct a search for him.
Stabroek News was told that the woman claimed she had called Kissoon’s cell phone and got no answer which led her to believe that he was missing.
“Imagine this information was given to the police but they didn’t act.
They just questioned her for a couple of hours and that was it,” this newspaper was told by the source who stressed that the police “are making a mess of this case.
There is information that could have been acted on and they could have gotten somewhere.”
The source said Kissoon and the woman had often gotten into heated quarrels, mostly about the woman being unfaithful. The woman, the source said, wanted out of the relationship but Kissoon refused to let her go. The source expressed belief that this might have been a contributing factor in his death. “He was love struck.”
As the one year anniversary approaches, the source said that he along with the relatives is hoping to hear from the police about their progress so far.
“Relatives want the police to take a closer look at clues provided in this case and use their intelligence to get a breakthrough,” the source stressed.
He expressed belief that some day “God will bring things to light despite the fact that they have no confidence in the police.”
