The Guyana Police Force yesterday morning issued bulletins for an Ogle man and woman who are wanted for questioning in relation to the murder of Police Constable Quincy Lewis on the East Bank of Demerara on June 19, 2020.
The bulletins were issued after the remains and clothing of the police constable were discovered on Wednesday afternoon at the Madewini Sandpit area, Soesdyke/Linden Highway. DNA testing is to be done.
The police have identified the two suspects as Thakurdial Samaroo, 56, whose last known address is Lot 7 Ogle Front Road, East Coast Demerara (ECD), and Naqeeba Zahid Zafarali also known as Naqeeba Zafarali, 34, whose last known address is also Lot 7 Ogle Front Road. They are both wanted for questioning over the murder of Police Constable Lewis and are believed to be overseas.
Samaroo at the time of the murder of the cop was a mini bus driver and Zafarali, was a counsellor.
Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum told Stabroek News yesterday that based on what was revealed to the investigators by one of the suspects, Constable Lewis was shot before his body was transported to the location where his remains were found.
Blanhum also informed that at the location where the remains were unearthed and examined, investigators found a black plastic bag wrapped with duct tape over the victim’s skull. In addition, several cable ties were found among the remains.
The constable’s brother, Revon Jordan, of Westminster, La Parfaite Harmonie, told Stabroek News yesterday that he feels some amount of closure knowing that the skeletal remains of his brother have been recovered. “At least it is some amount of closure, better than not knowing the outcome of my brother’s death.”
On Wednesday when the police disclosed that detectives from the Force’s Major Crimes Unit had made a breakthrough in locating the suspected remains of the deceased around 5:45 pm, Blanhum told Stabroek News that the police had been gathering evidence over the past several months in an effort to locate Lewis and as a consequence, two of the suspects when presented with certain evidence, decided to cooperate with investigators.
Lewis’ death is believed to be linked to an affair that he had with a woman. Blanhum said that the police will seek the extradition of the two suspects, adding, “The Guyana Police Force will also use all legal avenues available to ensure that the other two (2) suspects are extradited to Guyana to answer to the allegations in relation to the death of the deceased.” He did not say where the suspects are currently residing.
The Crime Chief also paid tribute to his investigating team. “I wish to conclude by once again recognising each and every investigator involved in this matter since it’s their hard work, perseverance and diligence that ultimately led to the breakthrough in solving this case and locating the remains of the deceased.”
Charlene Jordan, the mother of the missing man, had informed this newspaper that she last saw her son on June 19, when he left to go to work. “I noticed on [the 23rd of June] that he was missing… his friends come and ask for he and they calling he phone and he phone going to voicemail… when I call [his phone] he wasn’t picking up… then I know he didn’t go to work at all,” Jordan recalled.
The woman had noted that the last update she received from the police was that her son was seen on CCTV footage crossing the Demerara Harbour Bridge after leaving their Parfaite Harmonie home.
Lewis’ mother had said that she did notice something suspicious on the night before he disappeared that caused her to worry intensely. “… Somebody call this phone and ask to see if he home, and I ask ‘is who?’ and they ask if he home again and I ask ‘is who?’ After that the person cut off the phone… I jump up cuz I hear like a vehicle and when I look out the window I see like a dark coloured car pulling off, so I don’t know,” Jordan had recounted.
