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Murder in West Ruimveldt… Family still grieves for justice one year later
Its been one year now since armed gunmen invaded the home of 24-year-old Shenese Austin and killed her. Austin who lived at 502 West Ruimveldt Housing Scheme, was killed on December 14, last year.
The dead woman’s mother, Jean-Ann Richardson, said that there has been nothing new since her daughter was killed.
Murder victim Shenese Austin
“My daughter’s death is just like the normal thing; there is no justice for my family;” Richardson said.
The woman said that the prime suspect in her daughter’s murder was allowed to leave the country even after the police had initially seized his passport.
Richardson also said that after her daughter was killed the police contacted them once and that was the last time.
The woman said that her other daughter, Rehanna Haynes, who witnessed the murder, was invited to the Eve Leary Police Headquarters for an identification parade.
“After the ID parade they never even contacted us back about any developments in my daughter’s case”.
The woman said that the prime suspect in her daughter’s death shows that he is definitely guilty because he left the country a mere two months after her daughter was killed. “If he isn’t guilty why he run away like that without even telling anybody,” the woman said.
Richardson said that she is still hoping that her daughter’s killer is brought to justice, but at the same time she said that she has come to the reality that may never happen.
“I know how things go in Guyana. Once you have money anything could happen, and also when you have family members who are ex-police make it more impossible for something even remotely to happen” the woman lamented.
“They have escaped from man, but God is watching and he knows when he would deal with that person, and something even worse might happen to that person”, the woman said.
A memorial service was held yesterday afternoon at the family’s home, to celebrate the woman’s life. Austin’s sister, Rehanna Haynes, had witnessed the murder.
Haynes recalled that the ordeal started when one of the intruders asked if they were selling cigarettes. “He come to our neighbour and ask is where selling cigarettes and the people told him that is the next house.”
Rehanna said that after the intruder came to the house, “He asked for $40 cigarettes, and he gave her $500.” The other house is located in an alleyway that runs alongside the property at 502 West Ruimveldt.
The sister said that she turned away to give the man the change, and as soon as she had done so, three others forced their way into the house. One of the bandits snatched her gold chain.
Haynes said that they didn’t ask for anything, but one of them, who was masked, asked for the basket with the money. The others, however, told him that they “Didn’t come for that,” and proceeded to go into the kitchen and take out a knife.
She said that it was like they knew the house, because they knew where everything was situated. She said that the bandits proceeded in the direction of her sister’s room, passing every other bedroom in the process.
She said that the other occupants of the house heard Shenese tell one of the intruders that they could take anything that they wanted, but just don’t harm her.
The sister said that the occupants of the house then started hearing the woman screaming. “We hear she hollering for, ‘Mommy, come and help me.’”
“Her mother, Jean-Ann Richardson, had been sleeping when the intruders forced their way into the home. She quickly awoke at the sound of her child crying, but was stopped by one of the bandits, who proceeded to relieve her of her jewellery and ordered her not to “f**king move”.
When the ordeal was over and the bandits had left, the members of the household rushed to the now dead Shenese’s room only to find her lying face down in a pool of blood. She was stabbed multiple times. The dead woman’s estranged husband, Christopher Austin, was detained but was subsequently released on $100,000 station bail after there was no evidence linking him to the crime.
Relatives had said that the dead woman had endured a very abusive relationship, which got worse when Shenese contended that her husband had gone outside the home to father a child with another woman.
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