As the probe into the murder of 73-year-old coconut farmer Deonarine (only name) widens, investigators yesterday journeyed to the Pomeroon River in search of the murder weapon which was reportedly tossed overboard by the suspect following the incident.
Contacted for an update last evening, Commander of ‘G’ Division Khali Pareshram related to Stabroek News that during further interrogation, the suspect – Deonarine’s 46-year-old partner related to the investigators that after the incident, she threw the firearm she used to shoot Deonarine into the Pomeroon River.
As a result, Pareshram said detectives accompanied by the woman went to the river in search of the weapon.
Whilst there, he noted divers searched the river but came up empty handed.
The woman was among four persons who were initially detained.
The police were on Tuesday granted an extension in time to further detain her while the three other persons, who are said to be Deonarine’s employees were released.
Pareshram added that as the woman remains in custody, the police are expected to seek legal advice on the way forward today.
Meanwhile, an autopsy conducted on Deonarine’s remains yesterday revealed that he died as a result of a gunshot wound in the abdomen. Eight pellets were also extracted from his body.
Deonarine, also known as ‘Russian,’ of Grant Maria’s Delight, Lower Pomeroon River, was shot once to his abdomen during the incident which occurred around 6.30pm last Friday at his home.
He was rushed to the Charity Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.
The police in a statement had said that enquiries revealed that approximately one hour before the attack, Deonarine went to Charity Housing Scheme, Essequibo Coast, where he picked up the woman and took her to their home.
The woman had reportedly related to the police that they were sitting at a table when Deonarine went to answer a call at the front door.
She had told the police that he was confronted by the suspect, who was said to have been armed with a “long gun.” The man was masked, she had said.
“The female intervened, [and] held onto the suspect’s weapon,” a police statement had said, while noting that the masked man then whipped out a knife and the woman reportedly held on to that as well.
Deonarine ran downstairs and the suspect allegedly pushed down the woman and went after him. He subsequently shot him and then fled.
However, ranks from the Guyana Police Force’s Major Crimes Unit on Tuesday made a breakthrough in the case after the woman reportedly confessed to fatally shooting Deonarine during a heated argument.
Stabroek News was previously told that the woman, who had been living with Deonarine for several months now had initially identified and implicated one of his employees as the perpetrator of the act.
The woman, this newspaper was told, related to investigators that she identified the employee from a mark on his hand.
However, her story changed on Tuesday, hours after she was transported to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Headquarters, Eve Leary for questioning.
During the interrogation, the woman related to the police that she rushed down to the lower flat of the house on Friday evening after she and Deonarine were involved in a heated argument after dinner which escalated into a fight.
She added that she managed to fight off Deonarine and armed herself with his firearm which she used to shoot him.
