A total of four persons are now in police custody as investigators continue to probe the murder of money changer Shawn Nurse and a motorcycle that is suspected to have been used to commit the crime has been found and impounded.
Police spokesman Jairam Ramlakhan also revealed yesterday afternoon that two of the suspects were previously charged in relation to a robbery committed on Nurse but were subsequently freed after the victim was repaid.
“Two of the suspects were previously charged with robbery committed on Nurse but were later freed after no evidence was offered and restitution made in the sum of $500,000 to Nurse,” he said.
Additionally, Ramlakhan said that the impounded motorcycle, a red Honda CG, was found in the possession of one of the suspects and it is believed to have been used in the commission of the crime based on CCTV footage retrieved.
Stabroek News was told that two of the suspects in custody continue to blame each other for the crime. “The tale takes a twist as one of the suspects claims that he had lent the bike to another but this has been denied, hence them all being in custody as detectives continue their interviews,” the police said.
Nurse, 47, a father of three, of the South Ruimveldt, was shot once in the face, just under the left eye, minutes after 10 am on Sunday.
The shooting occurred at the corner of Avenue of the Republic and America Street, where Nurse worked as a moneychanger.
The police had ruled out robbery as the motive for the attack.
In a statement, the police had said that the attack was carried out by an identifiable male in a red hoodie and brown three-quarter pants who was armed with a handgun.
The police had said that the victim was seated on a chair at the corner of America Street and Avenue of the Republic when the armed perpetrator approached him from a northern direction with the weapon drawn and demanded that he hand over his money.
Nurse, the police said, put up resistance and the perpetrator discharged a round, hitting him in his face.
The perpetrator then escaped on foot, north on Avenue of the Republic and then east into Charlotte Street.
Stabroek News had previously reported that one of the suspects was arrested shortly after the crime, while the second was arrested on Monday.
The police picked up the other two suspects between Monday evening and yesterday.
Nurse’s mother, Monica Dettering, had related that some two months ago Nurse was robbed. She said he later found the individual and the person’s mother paid him back the stolen money. “Shawn don’t have no problem with nobody,” Monica had said.
