Relatives of Debra Blackman who was shot dead in August at the Chinese Restau-rant where she worked say they are frustrated at the apparent sloth in the investigation even as the police insist that not only are they working but are positive they will get a breakthrough.
“We are very optimistic that the law will prevail,” Crime Chief Leslie James told Stabroek News recently.
When asked for an update, he said the matter is still very much alive and that investigators are working.
Blackman’s daughter Shelly Ann said they are yet to hear from the police on the matter. “No no. No word,” she said with a shake of the head. She said she did expect to get some update from the police.
Asked whether the family has discussed going to the police for information, she said it was discussed given the fact that they have been hearing rumours that someone was in custody for the killing.
Shelly Ann expressed concern at the length of time the police took to release a picture of the gunman. The picture is a still taken from one of the security cameras in the restaurant. Days after the killing, it was published in the media and it took the police some two weeks to officially release it to the press.
“We think it should have been done a little earlier, just in case the guy was still in town… If they had released it… earlier we woulda stand a better chance by now,” she said while noting that the delay in the release of the image was of concern to the family.
Shelly Ann told the Stabroek News that since Blackman was killed her employers never made contact with them.
The woman said she still cries and grieves for her mother. “That is something you can’t stop at all,” she said.
She said everyone is taking her mother’s death hard. “It is a big loss and a shocking loss and we ain’t getting nothing out of it. A month and change and not a word,” she said adding that the police have not even called once to say ‘we are doing an investigation, have faith in us.’ She said that had that been done, she would have felt a bit more satisfied. She said that all they needed was simple words to show them that the police had their interest at heart.
As regards the killer, she said she wants to know the reason why he did it and whether somebody had sent him.
She said she knows getting justice for her mother is worth fighting for but there is no plea that she can issue to the police right now. She said that the ranks have their jobs to do and it is their duty to work hard to find her mother’s killer.
She insisted that her mother was not involved in any problem with anyone.
“If you wanted the money, tek the money and go. What was the reason for killing her? That is not she money,” she stressed.
‘Nobody knows this guy’
According to Shelly Ann, they have heard no whispers about the identity of the shooter and she finds this a bit strange. She pointed out that the footage is clear enough for persons who know him, to be able to make a positive identification. She questioned why it is that no one seems to know the identity of the shooter. “I can’t see that a man footage on the internet in the newspaper and nobody knows this guy. It is strange. He ain’t belong to Guyana?” she said.
“Nobody never come forward and seh I know this boy he is from x, y, z place. Never,” she reiterated.
Asked about the motorcycle the killer escaped on, she said the information they had received was that it was stolen.
At first relatives were convinced that Blackman was the victim of a botched robbery; after viewing the footage that the cameras had captured.
When asked again about the motive, Shelly Ann responded, “to tell you the honest truth I don’t know what is what.” The clearly frustrated woman said that all she prays for is that the shooter is found. She said that only this person can shed light on “whether it was a robbery or a murder or who sent… that’s all I does pray for.”
The woman also expressed the view that the police should be looking for the other two men who were seen acting suspiciously in the recording. She said that even if they were not involved in the shooting incident at least they could have provided them with more information about the physical characteristics of the man. The woman said there are claims that the image was not clear enough. “If they din try to arrest the other two guys at least they could have gotten a better image. They claiming that they ain’t get a good image on the video at least they coulda use them as witness. So they should have tried to make contact with the other two because… they been right there when the shooting take place,” she said.
On August 23, the gunman walked into the Delicious Restaurant, located on D’Urban Street, between Hayley and Hardina streets, and shot Blackman. Seconds after the shooting the man was seen walking out of the restaurant and he subsequently jumped onto a CG motorcycle which sped off.
A part of the footage seen by this newspaper showed a young man, dressed in a grey t-shirt, dark-coloured pants and a red cap, standing by the counter. The two men entered after and acted nervously. Though they entered separately, based on the way they were acting it would appear that all three were known to each other. The man in the cap remained standing at the counter and was seen constantly glancing around. Though he was wearing the cap, at several points his face could be clearly seen.
Stabroek News was told that Blackman was shot as she was preparing to hand over the food ordered. Footage captured from the cameras outside subsequently recorded the gunman fleeing the scene on a CG motorcycle, this newspaper was also told.
Blackman sustained a single gunshot wound which entered her body through her neck and passed out through her shoulder. She died moments after being shot.
