Latest update April 7th, 2025 6:08 AM
Police doing background checks on murdered ex-cop
Spent shells from the scene of last Monday’s killing of taxi driver and former policeman Renie Williams
Dead: Renie Williams
are still being analysed.
This is according to Crime Chief Seelall Persaud, who told this newspaper that investigators have so far not unearthed any further information on the murder.
Williams, 25, of Lot 138 King Edward Street, Albouystown, was gunned down around 02:00 hrs on Monday, last, in the same street where he saw his cousin murdered three years ago. He was shot twice in the back by a lone, black-clothed man armed with a 9mm pistol as he sat in his car outside his home with his wife.
Investigators have not yet established a motive for the killing, although there are reports that it might have stemmed from an ongoing feud that Williams and his relatives have with another family in their community.
Williams, a former policeman who was seconded to the Tactical Services Unit, was a witness to the murder of his cousin, Marvin Boston, who was stabbed to death in the same street in October 2009, allegedly while coming to Williams’ aid. Williams himself was injured during the brawl. One man has been charged with Boston’s murder while another was charged for assaulting Williams.
Eyewitnesses are still giving evidence in the matter, which has reportedly reached the High Court.
A source said that detectives have questioned members of the family with whom Williams had a dispute. They have also taken statements from them.
But investigators are not limiting their investigations to that particular scenario.
On Wednesday, the Crime Chief said that they are conducting a wide investigation that will take everything that comes up into consideration.
“We have done some background checks (on Williams) and we are doing some more to determine the terms of our inquiry.”
Kaieteur News understands that Williams was dismissed from the Force, and sources confirmed that he was questioned on numerous occasions during investigations into armed robberies.
According to one police source, he was placed on an identification parade on at least one occasion.
The slain man’s relatives insisted that he had no dispute with anyone.
A sister who spoke with Kaieteur News said that Williams had “locked up a lot of people” while he was in the force.
He reportedly left the police force some three years ago.
Relatives said that they suspected that the killer was waiting for him to arrive. They suggested that the gunman may have been lurking in a nearby passageway where residents found a strange cap and several cigarette butts.
Police recovered two spent 9mm shells at the scene and a 9mm warhead from Williams’ taxi.
The slain man’s wife, Shondeen Walters, told Kaieteur News that they had attended the Linden Town Week celebrations. Her husband had then dropped off some friends and the couple then went to the seawall before heading home.
Williams, she said, parked his car outside their home and wound the windows up. At the same time, she stretched over to the back seat to pick up some items from the car floor. It was then that a gunshot shattered one of the back windows. She was sprayed with broken glass.
She then heard a second gunshot and saw someone dressed in black fleeing on foot.
Ms. Walters said that on rising up, she saw her husband slumped and “shaking” in his seat.
“He was going into shock; he was shaking and trying to say something. I was hollering and calling the neighbours but nobody was coming.”
Ms. Walters said that she then used her mobile phone to contact some of her relatives.
After that, she exited the vehicle and began screaming and banging on her neighbour’s doors.
Relatives, accompanied by the wounded man’s wife, drove in the same taxi to the hospital.
Kaieteur News was told that some 20 minutes later, a doctor examined Williams and informed his family that he was dead.
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