Murdered former boxer Linden Mortley was on the police radar for more than a decade for ties to organised crime, including narcotics and firearm trafficking, Crime Chief Seelall Persaud said yesterday.
Mortley, 44, of Sussex Street, Charlestown, was killed on Sunday evening at Festival City, Georgetown. Persaud yesterday revealed that Mortley had been known to the police for “in excess of ten years.” He went on to explain that the dead man had links to organized crime, and specifically narcotics trafficking. More recently, he added, the man has been linked to firearm trafficking.
Persaud noted that Mortley had been charged with criminal offences three times recently. Further, he said that at the time of the killing, the man had a firearm and a grenade offence pending before the court. He, however, could not provide details on these cases.
Police yesterday said that about 7:45 pm on Sunday, residents heard what sounded like gunshots and on checking later found Mortley “lying on a bridge with suspected gunshot wounds to his head.” The bridge Mortley was found on is called ‘Busta Bridge’ and it leads from Festival City to Guyhoc.
A relative had told this newspaper at the scene on Sunday that Mortley was earlier picked up from his home. According to residents, the dead man’s pockets were pulled out of his pants and emptied by the shooter, raising questions that the perpetrators were either after something he had on his person or wanted his death to appear to be robbery-related.
Persaud said police are still investigating the shooting but have not gathered enough evidence to confirm that Mortley’s killing was an execution. Persaud explained that it is unclear if anything was stolen from the man, which would point investigators in the direction of a robbery murder. He said Mortley’s wife told investigators that Mortley received a telephone call and left. Some time later, residents heard gunshots and called the police, who later found his body.
He stressed that there is not enough evidence to categorise the murder.
Meanwhile, Mortley’s father, Cyril, confirmed yesterday that his son did have a case pending before the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court. The elder Mortley said that about three years ago police charged his son with firearm and grenade possession even though “dem ain’t find nothing pon he.” He said the alleged find occurred at Soesdyke but he said he did not have all the details. He told this newspaper that the cases were dragging on in court and his son had been due to return to court next Friday.
A sad Cyril said that now he has to take his son’s photograph and a newspaper clipping to the court so that he could get back the bail money.
At Mortley’s Sussex Street address, persons had gathered to offer condolences to the family.
Cyril said that the sudden death was unbearable for the man’s wife, Suzzetta, who was resting in bed. “De wife can’t tek it man. She upstairs lie down,” he added.
He said he had not heard anything from the police about the investigation but was told that a post-mortem examination will be done tomorrow.
The man said his son’s death left him in shock and he was baffled as to the motive behind the killing.
The elder Mortley recalled that prior to the shooting, his son returned home with water he had gone out to buy. He said they were all standing in front of their home when he disappeared.
Mortley, a father of two teenaged girls, drove a minibus on the Georgetown-Linden route up until the time of his death. During his boxing career, which ran from 1985 to 1993, he fought in the light-welterweight division. He fought here as well as in Barbados and even went to France once.
