Police yesterday arrested a second suspect in relation to the murders of Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Lance Corporal, Daniel Fraser and his girlfriend Shanicka Forde, who were shot and killed in Sophia more than a month ago.
Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum confirmed that the suspect, a 19-year-old from ‘B’ Field, Sophia was apprehended by ranks of the Major Crimes Unit.
Blanhum said the suspect identified himself in video footage which was retrieved in the vicinity of the crime scene. He was in police custody up to last night.
Stabroek News was reliably informed that during a video-recorded interview, the suspect reportedly told investigators that on the night of the shooting, he and two others left Stevedore, Georgetown and went to ‘B’ Field, Sophia to uplift a motorcycle.
There, he said they met Koabe Grant. Grant is currently on remand over the murders. He added that they then went to ‘C’ Field, Sophia and returned to ‘B’ Field, Sophia. They did not collect the motorcycle.
The suspect claimed that he later saw Grant take out a firearm, while one of his accomplices who goes by the alias ‘Do Do’ whipped out a shotgun.
Upon seeing that, the suspect added that he began riding away on his bicycle and he heard several gunshots
He said he and ‘Do Do’ escaped and went home and it wasn’t until afterwards that he learnt Fraser and Forde had been shot and killed.
Fraser and Forde, who was visiting from Barbados, were gunned down at ‘B’ Field, Sophia around 11.30pm on September 1st.
Autopsies revealed that Fraser died as a result of a gunshot injury to his chest. Forde, was shot multiple times.
Forde resided in Barbados but was here on vacation. She was staying at a friend’s place in South Sophia.
According to a police report, enquiries revealed that prior to the shooting, the couple were imbibing alcohol at a shop at ‘C’ Field Sophia. They then left for home on motorcycle, CK 9296.
“As they were heading west along Last Street ‘B’ Field, Sophia, they were confronted by an unknown male who approach-ed them from a northern direction on a bicycle and discharged six rounds at Fraser and Forde causing them to fall on the ground,” the police said.
The suspect then rode away in a western direction and made good his escape.
On September 13th, Grant, a 23-year-old carpenter was charged in relation to the crime and remanded to prison.
The police are on the hunt for a third suspect in relation to the said crime.
