The family of a West Coast Berbice man are still seeking answers about his mysterious disappearance in August, 2000, and are now pleading with investigators to reopen the case.
Burchell Garrett, 74, a horse trainer, went missing on August 18, 2000, after venturing from his home in Armadale Village, West Berbice, to attend the High Court in New Amsterdam for a hearing in a land dispute case.
One of his daughters, Ena Garrett, 59, who is based overseas, recalled to Stabroek News in a recent interview that she received a phone call from one of her sisters, Shirley Garrett, who resided at the same property with their father, informing her that he had not returned home.
The woman said her father had to attend court with several others after a distant relative of his had filed proceedings to claim ownership of a section of his land.
However, after the proceedings had ended her father allegedly received a call from the complainant, whom he had known for many years, asking if they can go out for a few drinks. “…My uncle told him not to go but he went,” she said.
That was the last time her father was seen by anyone, she noted.
Futile search
Ena said her sister went to the distant relative’s house, which is located a short distance from where her father resided, around 7.30 pm but was told that he too had not returned home as yet.
A search was immediately launched and the next day a police report was filed. Ena recalled that she quickly returned to Guyana to join the search that year. “We search all over and everywhere and a lot of people told us they saw him with this man [relative] drinking,” she noted.
She said that while searching, persons from the New Amsterdam Market confirmed that the two men were seen there together.
The family later learnt that the distant relative had returned home during the wee hours of the next day.
She recalled that her sister had ventured over to the man’s house a second time to seek answers and saw the man and a friend of his, who at that time was a clerk at the High Court.
She said her sister got into an argument with them and had to be removed from the scene.
The woman noted that the distant relative, seen as a suspect in her father’s disappearance, was held three times and provided police with different stories. “He never said anything about if he left my father anywhere. One time he said he went in the market to buy pepper to send for his daughter overseas then he said he never see my dad and he never drink with dad,” she related.
However, the woman said that the police’s investigation back then was poor. “It was CID Fraser handling the matter and every time I come and go in to New Amsterdam, the papers keep missing from the file,” she pointed out.
Commenting on the police’s investigation in 2000, Ena said, “It was not good. It was disappointing and we need answers.”
After being held for the third time, the distant relative was released on station bail, after which he ventured to Suriname and then the United States of America, she claim-ed. However, after many years he has since returned to Guyana and Ena is now hopeful that if the police are to reopen the investigation then some answers can be provided to the family.
Ena said that over the years she has met with at least four divisional commanders and pleaded with them to look into the matter. Then Commander Brian Joseph, who is now retired, once requested a detective to look into the matter but that did not go anywhere, she pointed out.
The last commander she met with was Paul Langevine, whom she said seemed disinterested in offering any assistance.
She said her family has not been able to perform any last rites for the missing man and they are in need of answers for closure.
Land dispute
Meanwhile, Ena said the land dispute, which started since the 1990s, is still ongoing as an offspring of their distant relative is now making claims to the land.
The woman noted that she had informed ranks of the land issues and was advised to visit Georgetown, where she filed a complaint and provided them with the necessary documentation but nothing was ever done.
Ena said a few weeks back “They break down we fence and damaging the property. We called the police and they were looking for the one of them but they haven’t found him yet”.
Ena said it is frustrating that every time an offspring files a claim she has to spend her money in lawyer’s fees to file against them so as to ensure that they are not bullied out of their land.The woman further stressed that she is not claiming ownership of the land herself but that their contention is that the land belongs to her father and his three brothers who were occupying it since the 90s and therefore it should be divided among their offspring.
