Ballistics tests on shells from the scene of the murder of Courtney Crum-Ewing provided no leads, according to Crime Chief Leslie James.
At the same time, Crum-Ewing’s family is maintaining that questioning government officials who threatened him is key to the investigation and his mother, Donna Harcourt, has said that she is prepared to seek overseas help in the event that the police make no headway.
The police recovered a number of .32 spent shells at the scene of the March 10th murder, which occurred at Diamond, East Bank Demerara, where Crum-Ewing was urging residents to vote at the impending elections. He was gunned down. Asked about the ballistics tests done, James said they have been completed but there were no matches to any recovered weapons or other crime scenes. He said the shells and bullets from the Crum-Ewing scene had “independent characteristics.”
Though Harcourt has received the assurance that the matter would be investigated fully and that no stone would be left unturned in finding those responsible, observers have said that like in most high-profile killings, the trail appears to have gone cold.
Harcourt, her husband and supporters have been gathering outside the office of Attorney General Anil Nandlall daily to continue Crum-Ewing’s protest action and to seek justice for him. Crum-Ewing last year staged a one-man protest outside the AG’s office, calling for his resignation over a telephone conversation with a Kaieteur News reporter. James insisted that the murder is being actively investigated. At least eight persons had been arrested by the police in connection with the probe, but they were all subsequently released. No new suspects have since been held. The police had also impounded a car suspected to have been the getaway vehicle.
Told about the concerns expressed by family members that the police are yet to question the two government officials who allegedly threatened Crum-Ewing, James responded, “With regards to the report made by Courtney Crum-Ewing, that aspect [the report of threats] has been investigated and the police have taken action.”
He said since the shooting he had made public pleas for anyone who may have any information about the case to visit him or make an anonymous report, but to date no one has come forward.
James also noted that the police are in possession of footage which is being looked at but many residents have said the area was too dark for any useful to have been picked up by surveillance cameras on the night of the murder.
Police had said Crum-Ewing was walking along the roadway at Third Street, Diamond, when a car with four men drove up and shots were fired at him. Crum-Ewing, who was hit about the body, was subsequently taken to the Diamond Diagnostic Centre, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.
Above the law
Harcourt told Stabroek News last Wednesday that she had spoken to a rank who indicated that they had “certain leads” but were trying to ensure accuracy in how they proceeded. She said the rank also stated that investigators were looking at the case from all the angles and that they wanted to talk to her.
She said she is prepared to give the police a chance to do their work, despite all the criticisms and comments that are being made about the handling of the investigation. “What I am saying, I feel if you get one person name and you get that person and you interrogate that person you would know the rest, but it appear like they doing their job a different way because there are a few names that have been called, and they are not doing a proper investigation,” she said.
Harcourt said that she strongly believes the police have not questioned the two government officials who her son had alleged made threats against his life. Crum-Ewing had lodged complaints at the Brickdam Police Station that two senior government officials had threatened him over his continued protest action outside the office of the Attorney General.
She said she is very upset about these persons not being questioned, while insisting that questioning them is a starting point for the investigation.
“I don’t know for whatever reason they are not questioning these two particular individuals,” she said, while remarking that if she can be on the ground doing her own investigation, picking up useful information, then so can the police. Harcourt said a senior police official has assured her that he will stop at nothing to ensure that those responsible are caught and punished. She agreed that she is not seeing efforts that would result in this outcome but added that she keeps in regular contact with the police for updates.
“I don’t think they are ready to break it [the case] because if they were ready to break it they have to interrogate these people who are above the law. They have to interrogate them and they are not doing that so they are not ready to break it,” she said.
The woman said she is not prepared to let the case go cold and she will remain steadfast in her protest action. “I am here every day protesting, and if I realise after a certain time I am getting nowhere I am going to ask for international help. Whatever form I have to do it, I will be asking the international community. I think it is my business because it is my son and I think I should be the one to call pon them,” she told Stabroek News during a picketing exercise. However, she said she wants to try all local avenues first.
Her husband, Eustace Harcourt, in a brief comment said that “it seems as though the persons who threatened my son are above the law because they [the police] have not taken any steps to talk to these two individuals. I find it somewhat strange.”
Eustace said they are persisting with the matter because he and his family do not want it to “die away like every other case that runs cold and people just forget about it. This is not what is gonna happen this time.”
Lax attitude
Meanwhile, a security source told this newspaper that in this particular investigation, there is evidence of a lax attitude on the part of the police from the initial response.
While noting that the Diamond area is a very large scheme with many places to hide, the source expressed the view that not enough was done to actively look for the getaway car after the murder.
According to the source, the first few hours of any police investigation are critical and could be the deciding factor in whether the matter will be solved. The source pointed out that given the sensitivity of this case, the police would have been under pressure to come up with early leads. However this did not happen.
Questions have been repeatedly raised as to how it was the police arrived so quickly. One resident had insisted that the ranks who were the first responders were not from the area.
The residents this newspaper spoke with insisted that it was a well calculated plot and that Crum-Ewing was cornered in an area which was dark and isolated.
It would appear that the getaway vehicle came from a back street which leads onto the one that Crum-Ewing was walking along. This newspaper was told that men, numbering about four, exited the vehicle, surrounded the man and shots were then fired. The men then jumped into the vehicle and sped off. Persons standing nearby were blinded by the light of the vehicle, which reversed and took the same route out.
