Although the death of Seafield, West Coast Berbice resident Clyde Benjamin has been ruled a drowning, his family remains suspicious that he was a victim of foul play since he was found on dry land and without his wallet.
Benjamin, also known as ‘Clyde Skeete’ and ‘Bungo’, 64, was a well-known coconut vendor who operated his business at Bourda Market on Tuesdays and Fridays.
He was found dead on the family’s coconut estate on the morning of August 6.
According to police, Benjamin’s body was discovered following an anonymous tip by telephone reporting that the body of a man was seen lying motionless at Rising Sun Backdam. Benjamin was discovered with blood around his mouth and nose. A bag of unpeeled coconuts and a metal bar was found 30 feet north of his body. The metal bar, it was said, did not belong to the man.
Leon Skeete had told police he last saw his father two weeks before his death. He shared his suspicions with Sunday Stabroek, saying that the circumstances surrounding the man’s death aren’t adding up. Benjamin, the son said, was found dead under a coconut tree on a coconut estate where it was dry all around while the post-mortem (PM) examination concluded his death was a result of asphyxiation by drowning.
Skeete further noted that his father’s wallet containing a quantity of cash and his identification card were missing. The man said that his father always kept his wallet on him. He said just to be sure, he searched his father’s residence for the wallet but could not find it. He believes that the wallet could have gone missing at the time of the man’s death or after he was discovered dead.
When contacted, Guyana Police Force spokesman Stan Gouveia said the pathologist, Dr Vivekanand Bridgemohan, indicated that though Benjamin was discovered in a dry spot, died from delayed drowning after inhaling water. As a result, he said the police do not consider his death as suspicious.
This newspaper also spoke with the youngest of Benjamin’s eight children, Lutisha Skeete, who said she would usually pay her father a visit at the market on Fridays. Skeete shared that on Fridays her father would deposit the money he had made from the week’s sales into the bank. She further said that in addition to that sum, he also had money he received from his niece. Benjamin, she said, always kept his money on him as well as his ID card wherever he went.
Asked whether she knew if Benjamin had any old grievances with anyone, Skeete said, “My father don’t pick problem at all; he’s always a jolly man. He’s always smiling. I never hear my father curse anybody.” The deceased was said to have been a vendor for 30 years.
