Weights used to submerge body, linked to stepfather

Oct 05, 2010 News

Three days after residents of Madewini made the gruesome discovery of Neesa Gopaul’s body in a suitcase, police returned to the scene yesterday and removed a length of rope tied to two locally made dumb-bells. The dumb-bells were attached to the suitcase by a length of rope.
Initially police were working on the theory that the teen’s body was placed in the suitcase and anchored in the creek located at the Emerald Tower resort. Yesterday’s find confirmed their theory.

Dead: Neesa Gopaul

The dumb-bells are now deemed key evidence linking Jarvis Small, called Barry Small, to the girl’s killing and disposal of the body. According to reports, Small operated a gym at his house in Leonora. The dumb-bells weighed in excess of 80 pounds and were similar to those used in Small’s gym.
A former member of the gym, Suraj Anan, who is also in Pastor in the area, with barely a glance at the dumb-bells, said that he once used them at the very gym.
According to Anan, most of the equipment at the gym were locally made. He said that the dumb-bells are not like those found around other gyms.
Anan said that he stopped attending the gym about two months ago after he noticed Small acting differently.
“This man’s attitude change. He started spending lavishly. His entire attitude force a lot of people to stop going to the gym because the word about his affairs started circulating.”
Several other youngsters in the Leonora area upon seeing photographs of the dumbbells confirmed that they once used the pieces of equipment in the gym.
At least four other gym members confirmed that at Barry’s gym mostly locally-made weights were used. The dead teen’s aunt, her uncle and grandfather also spoke of seeing the same pieces of equipment at Neesa’s home. What was more shocking was that the victim’s sister upon seeing the photograph of the dumb-bells, said, “It’s his”.
“This is what Uncle Barry uses to exercise. He uses them to lose weight and keep fit; he makes these things himself, he had them at the house and he would exercise with them.”
Meanwhile, residents at Madewini are now recollecting the past week’s activities in the area. They said that the Saturday before the discovery was made a blue car was seen entering the area.

Suspect: Naree Gopaul

“Now that this story buss out I remember seeing a blue Verosa coming in this trail and a dark colour pick up kinda vehicle.” Police have since impounded the blue Vios owned by Naree Gopaul, the teen’s mother, and a black pickup owned by Small’s wife, who is also in police custody.
A source close to the investigation said that the police have received information that Small was in contact with a prominent lawyer the night before he was arrested. Small was arrested Sunday morning, hours after the teen’s body was found.
This newspaper was also told that minutes after Small was arrested his lawyer turned up at the Leonora Police Station. Sources say that both Small and Naree Gopaul are denying all allegations put to them about Neesa’s death.
Also investigators have stated that the location where the body was found is desolate and the killer or killers must have been familiar with the terrain.
Neesa’s body was found some three miles off the Soesdyke Highway submerged in a creek. The location was once used as a resort but has been abandoned for several years now.