Police have intensified their efforts to find a 30-year-old man, who they believe is responsible for the murder of Answar Stoll, a Kuru Kururu resident who has not been seen since mid-November, last year.
It is suspected that Stoll, called ‘Red Man,’ 46, of Dadrima Savannah, Kuru Kururu, Linden/Soesdyke Highway, was murdered sometime between November 15 and November 16, 2020 at his home.
Relatives filed a missing person report with the police on December 14th, 2020 after attempts to contact him proved futile and a search at his home uncovered signs of foul play.
The worst fears of Stoll’s family were confirmed last Wednesday when the Guyana Police Force issued a wanted bulletin for Leon Waddel, also known as ‘Mack,’ who it said is wanted for questioning in relation to Stoll’s murder.
Waddel, whose last known address was given as 4th Creek, Kuru Kuru, Soesdyke-Linden Highway, was recently spotted by lawmen but managed to elude capture.
Speaking to Sunday Stabroek yesterday, Stoll’s brother, Harvey, explained that the man was last seen and heard from on November 15th.
Harvey explained that his mother, who resides overseas, telephoned him on December 14, 2020 after she tried unsuccessfully for three weeks to reach Answar. “She said she has been trying to call him for the last three weeks and she is not getting onto him and if one of us can go and check to see what’s going on,” Harvey said
As a result, he noted that a cousin journeyed to Answar house. “…The place was basically, it looked as though it was locked up because his latrine that he had there, fell down and the place looked locked up. It was lock from the inside but when he touched one of the windows, the window open,” Harvey added.
According to him, the cousin gained entry into the house through a window. Upon entering, he said the man noticed that the house was ransacked and there were spots of what appeared to be blood “splattered” around.
“So he went into the house and discovered a lot of things looking like blood stains. On the walls, on the floor. The house was ransacked,” Harvey further stated.
Most of Answar’s personal belongings were also discovered missing. “All of his personal belongings, with the exception of his glasses, were left on the table. Everything else was gone, the mattresses, batteries with lights, wiring and the place carried a terrible stench,” Harvey said.
The cousin subsequently left and informed the police of the situation. He lodged a missing person report the same day.
About two weeks after Answar was reported missing, Harvey said rumours started to spread of what might have happened. “…That he was killed in the house and he was disposed of and that some other person that he live with threatened him,” Harvey said.
Harvey stated he is unaware that his brother lived with anyone. He added that Waddel was later pinpointed as the individual who lived with Answar.
He further related that he was told that Answar and about four others, including Waddel, were consuming alcohol when Answar reportedly asked Waddel to leave his place.
According to Harvey, Waddle was reportedly embarrassed as a result of this and he allegedly attacked Answar.
Harvey, who works in the interior, said he did not share a close relationship with Answar. He said Answar is supported financially by his mother and sister, since he does not work.
Asked why the family took three weeks after they could not get on to Answar before they sought to intervene, Harvey said they had previously been unable to contact him for a long period and later learnt that Answar experienced problems with his phone.
“Dismissed”
Meanwhile, Harvey expressed frustration at the manner in which the police initially treated the matter.
He said when the police were shown the suspected bloodstains during the first visit to the house, a detective told him that it looked like cassareep.
“I told him, I said ‘Officer, you can’t just look at something and assume something like that’…..He said he treating it as a missing person. He gave his number to call him in case of anything and that’s it,” he said.
Not satisfied with the response, Harvey explained that he attempted to share his concerns with the Divisional Commander, Linden Isles, but at the time he was in a meeting.
However, he said he was able to meet another senior officer of the division, who “dismissed” his concerns.
“I went up, explained to him what is going on and I showed him some photographs. He told me it could be anything. That the police does get numerous missing
persons report and that is not within their criteria, they treating it as a missing person and if is anything, I have to spend my own money, conduct my own investigation because the police does get numerous reports and they will be made a laughing stock if they listen and go search or people,” Harvey explained.
Harvey said he left and was subsequently contacted by a rank attached to the Criminal Investigations Department’s Major Crimes Unit and he was informed that tests would be conducted of the suspected blood.
He said the rank reached out to him and told him that in order for this to be done, a blood sample from one of Answar siblings will be needed.
As a result, he said he went to give the sample at Eve Leary and on that occasion, he also related his concerns to the rank. “He told me that they taking it seriously now and that they investigating,” Harvey said.
Harvey related that after listening to him, the rank described the reaction of those he initially dealt with as “gross negligence.”
“He said as soon as you enter that place, you could tell something is wrong. He said they have an investigation,” Harvey added.
Search intensified
Sunday Stabroek was reliably informed that as new evidence surfaced, the police have intensified their search for Waddel.
A police source close to the investigation informed this newspaper that on Friday, investigators travelled to Third Creek, Kuru Kururu in search for Answar’s cellular phone.
While the phone was not located, ranks discovered several damaged parts, identified to be those from Answar phone, which he recently purchased.
The police source told Sunday Stabroek that the search for Waddle has intensified.
During the operation, the police source said Waddel was spotted but he managed to elude investigators.
According to the police source, investigators went to an area where Waddle is suspected to be hiding out. Whilst there, the police source noted that Waddle was spotted next to a camp but he escaped through nearby vegetation upon noticing the police.
He was pursued but was not located.
The ranks also conducted a further search during which they recovered a wheelbarrow belonging to Answar.
