Pomeroon family hit by four unsolved murders

Mar 30, 2009 News

A pattern of violent death seems to be following the De Agrella family who reside in the Pomeroon.
Within the space of 16 months, they have lost four male relatives, all brutally slain at sea after returning from Venezuela.
So far, all four murders are unsolved.
In late December, 2007, the bullet-riddled bodies of Paul Da Silva, 16, of Grant Strong Hope, Lower Pomeroon, and Junior Gomez, of Imbotero, North West District, washed
up in Suriname. Rudolph Da Silva, a relative of Paul Da Silva and who was traveling with the two victims, has never been found.

Dead: Romeo De Agrella

Paul and Rudolph Da Silva were relatives of Romeo De Agrella and Clint De Agrella, whose bodies were found last Monday with multiple gunshot wounds in the Atlantic Ocean near Iron Punt, North West District.
While relatives insist that there is no connection, the killings bear some similarities.
According to reports, the Da Silva’s had operated a passenger boat service from the North West to Venezuela.
Rudolph Da Silva’s wife had told Kaieteur News that her husband had telephoned her from Venezuela to inform her that he was coming home.
While speaking to him, she had heard the sound of the boat engine, and she had assumed that they were on their way.
That was the last time she heard from him.
Relatives believe that the men were abducted by pirates, who killed them and stole their boat and engine after taking the victims to neighbouring Suriname.
Two weeks ago, the De Agrellas, who also live at Grant Hope, Pomeroon, informed relatives that they were returning from Venezuela on March 20.
They failed to turn up, and on March 22, relatives informed the police.
The following day, relatives went in search of the father and son and eventually found their bullet-riddled and bloodstained boat, minus its engine.
On March 23, relatives found Romeo De Agrella’s decomposing body near Iron Punt.
Clint De Agrella’s corpse was found some hours later about three miles away.
According to an official, 20-year-old Clint De Agrella sustained bullet wounds to the head, while his 41-year-old father was shot in the back.
Both victims appeared to have been shot at close range and a warhead police retrieved indicated that the killer(s) used an assault rifle.
To the consternation of the De Agrella family, police detained a nephew who found the bullet-riddled boat and also took Mr. De Agrella’s wife into custody for a day.
Both were subsequently released.
So far, no one else has been detained.

Dead: Clint De Agrella

According to his wife, Mr. De Agrella traveled regularly to Venezuela, where he would purchase hassars.
She said that the father and son were unlikely to be carrying large sums on cash with them on the return voyage.
However, she believes that pirates who frequent the Waini River murdered the men.
Kaieteur News was told that a Pomeroom speedboat operator recently reported a frightening encounter with a boatload of heavily-armed men in the Waini River.
According to the report, the Pomeroon resident said that the men pursued him to the mouth of the Waini River, where he managed to escape.