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Patricia Charles’ last phone call

Sep 30, 2012 Features / Columnists, Murder and Mystery

 

On Saturday, October 7, 2005, a group of persons was walking along the Kitty seawall just before dawn when they came upon a rather disturbing sight.
A man who appeared to be a drug addict was straddling a young woman who lay on the ground in a secluded area. The woman was putting up no resistance, and the onlookers suspected that she was under the influence of alcohol.
One of the passersby angrily chased the vagrant away and after the man had fled, the rescuer and his companions went to the woman’s aid.
It was then that they discovered that the ‘intoxicated’ victim was in fact dead.
The victim, an attractive woman in her twenties, was partly nude. She was wearing a pair of blue pants, which were partly pulled down; one blue Nike boot, and a toe-ring and studded earrings.
The absence of the second boot made the detectives suspect that she had been slain somewhere else.
Detectives also observed abrasions on her knees and right forearm. They suspected that she had been raped and strangled and this would later be confirmed during a post mortem.
Initial reports suggested that the victim was a Brazilian.
But the following day, she was identified as 26-year-old Patricia Newman-Charles of Waini Street, Meadow Brook Gardens.
The day before, October 6th, the attractive 26-year-old had left home dressed in blue jeans, black shirt, blue boots and jewellery, including two gold chains. Toting a handbag, Patricia informed a sister, Diana Ramotar, that she was going out.
Before leaving, Patricia asked the sister to keep an eye on her three children, aged seven, nine and 12.
A relative also remembered that Patricia had received a phone call from someone.
Patricia would normally call to enquire about her children whenever she was away, and the sister had sensed that something was wrong when the mother of three had failed to call.
Shortly after Patricia Newman-Charles’ body was found, police arrested three men who were allegedly seen near the body. They were released shortly after.
Then, two days afterwards, investigators picked up four other male suspects.
According to reports, the men were held after records at the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GT&T) revealed that the suspects had telephoned Newman-Charles shortly before her death.
One of the suspects was a minibus owner. He appeared to be the last person that had contacted the victim by telephone before she disappeared. But detectives met another dead end and had to release the suspects.
Days later, the family received more bad news. The post-mortem confirmed that Newman-Charles was manually strangled.
And after almost seven years, police appear to have all but forgotten about this murder.
Relatives who visit the police to enquire about the status of the matter are merely told that investigations are continuing.
“Our family did not get any justice,” one relative had told Kaieteur News. “When I look at her children I just want to cry many times because they are left without a mother. No one knows the pain we feel and I don’t think anyone can comfort us. I know if we get justice then maybe we can get closure.”
“We still live close as a family but whenever we are together, there is always someone missing.”
If you have any information about this case, please contact us at our Lot 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown location.
You can also reach us on telephone numbers 22-58465, 22-58473, and 22-58491.
You can also contact Michael Jordan at his email address [email protected].
You need not disclose your identity.

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