Le Rich owner found dead in Eccles home

Apr 22, 2010 News

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– head bashed in, throat slit

Police are currently working on all possible leads that may lead them to the killer of local businessman, Junior Richards, called ‘Non Stop’. The nude body of the businessman, who owned Le Rich Hotel, and Le Rich Imports, was found at his 186 Anaida Avenue, Eccles, East Bank Demerara home, some time after 09:00 hours yesterday.

This newspaper was told that the discovery was made by the man’s maid and two of his employees. According to one of the man’s employees it was very unusual for Richards not to turn up at either of his places of business early in the morning.
“I waiting at the store I ain’t see he come that was like minutes to nine, so I go over at a shop next door and put some credit in me phone,” one employee recalled. The man was heard telling his fellow colleagues that he called every possible telephone number he has for his boss but he got through to none.
At that point the man said that he called the hotel which is located on Princes Street to find out if his boss was there but yet again no one was able to locate Richards.
In the meantime, as persons frantically tried to locate Richards, his maid turned up for work and after calling several times and getting no answer she decided to make checks around the house.
This newspaper was told that the maid went into a neighbour’s yard to get a proper look into Richards’s yard after noticing that both his vehicle and his motorcycle were still parked in the yard. While in the neighbour’s yard the maid related that she noticed that the back door and the grill were opened.
On seeing this, the woman quickly alerted some of Richards’s employees who raced down to his home.
Another employee, named Tessa, told this newspaper that when she and her other colleagues arrived at Richards’s home they noticed that the gate was still locked. As such they were forced to jump the fence to gain entry into the yard.
The woman said that when they got into the yard they first noticed that the back door was wide open but when they called out for Richards yet again they got no answer.
“We decide to go in the house, and we notice the downstairs of the house was very neat, so we go upstairs and then we noticed the upstairs ransacked,” the woman said. She added that it was when they entered a bedroom then they were met with what she described as a very horrifying sight.
“I see the entire room floor cover with blood. He (Richards) went laying on he belly on de bed, and de side of he head de smash in…The whole bed and pillows was blood,” one woman related.
This newspaper was told that two clay bricks were found in the bedroom, along with a knife. Sources close to the investigation told this newspaper that, from all indications Richard was knocked unconscious and then his throat slit.
Other employees who saw Richards related that from what they saw, the businessman may have been attacked just as he retired to bed moments after having a meal and a bathe.
Persons also speculated that the man may have been killed by someone close to him since there was no sign of forced entry to the building.
“It look like he eat, go take a bath and then just lay on the bed just how he come out de bathroom, and fall asleep and them people attack he,” one employee was heard saying.
However neighbours said that at no point during the night did they hear any strange noise coming from Richards’s home.
The only thing strange that was reported to the police by neighbours was the fact that there was a car, AT 212 parked in front of Richards home on Tuesday night with its hazards lights on.
To confirm this while at the scene yesterday a police tracker dog which was in the house ran up the street towards a dead end as it kept tracing a scent to the end of the street.
A source close to the investigation told this newspaper the dog was tracing the scent of the car tire which supposedly was used by Richards’s killers to and from the scene.
“Like the person drive to the end of the street and then realize that it was a dead end so it had to turn back” the source related.
In addition, several pieces of evidence were removed from the crime scene including the two clay brick and a knife. The house was also thoroughly dusted for fingerprints. From all indication Richards’s killers entered his home with a motive to kill and were specifically looking for something in particular.
This newspaper was told that the bedroom in which Richards was found had wall pictures removed and drawers emptied.
Reports are that several important documents, including the man’s passport, were also strewn about his bedroom.  Meanwhile as news of Richards’s death spread several persons tired to contact his wife, June Richards, who was in Barbados at the time.
Relatives said that Mrs. Richards after hearing the news, was trying to get the next flight out of Barbados. Richards was scheduled to leave for London shortly to attend a family reunion.
Up to press time no one was arrested as investigations continue.

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