The two suspects accused of fatally chopping gold miner David Atkinson almost a month ago in the Cuyuni River area remain on the run even as the police prepare to seek legal advice in the matter.
Commander of Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni) Senior Superintendent Linden Lord yesterday told Stabroek News that the investigation into the matter has been completed and the police will be seeking legal advice in a matter of days.
Lord added that the two suspects, Brazilian national Dexter Jonas, 23, of Boa Vista, Brazil, and his stepfather, who is only known to police as ‘Oman’, are yet to be apprehended.
He said continuous checks are being made for the suspects.
Stabroek News had reported that Atkinson called ‘Long Hair,’ 36, a Kuru Kuru, Soesdyke-Linden Highway succumbed on October 26th, one day after he was chopped about his body during an alleged robbery which occurred in a backdam in the Cuyuni River area.
Police believe that the attack on Atkinson was linked to a “wash down” (a gold find) days prior to his attack.
Three persons were initially arrested in relation to the crime but they were subsequently released on station bail.
Investigations, this newspaper had learnt, had revealed that Atkinson, along with two others, were employed to work at the mining area owned and operated by Azad Mohammed. After the wash down, Atkinson and his colleagues, Trevor and Andy Thomas, went to the landing where they had several drinks before returning to their camp.
While returning the following morning at around 1 am, they were attacked by Jonas and another individual, according to the account given to the police by the colleagues. Police had said that the men alleged that they were held at gunpoint and robbed of a quantity of raw gold.
The men further claimed that they managed to grab Jonas, disarm him, then took him and the gun to their camp and handed him over to Mohammed. However, Jonas reportedly managed to escape before the police arrived.
However, further investigations by the police yielded a different account of the events.
Police said that Diego Jonas, who is Dexter’s brother, claimed that Atkinson and his two coworkers visited their camp and they were all watching television together. At around 10.30 pm on the night of October 24th, three men invaded the camp, held them at gunpoint and demanded gold and money, he told police.
Diego further told the police that he was cuffed to his head by one of the attackers and he fell unconscious. After his stepfather found him, he related what had transpired and the man then left in search of Jonas.
The police said that on arrival at the scene, Mohammed handed over the gun, a black Glock 19 pistol, which were seized from his employees’ alleged attackers.
Mohammed told police that at around 4:50 am the following morning, his employees returned to the camp with the eldest Jonas brother. Mohammed said that he was told by his employees that it was Dexter Jonas who attacked and tried to rob them.
Police had said that they found Atkinson with an incised wound and multiple lacerations about his body in Mohammed’s camp. When he was found, he was still alive and he related to the investigating ranks that it was Dexter Jonas and his stepfather who chopped him.
