Six months later…US army doctor’s murderers not found, case still unsolved

Sep 29, 2013 News

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…mother had hired private investigator
The past week marked six months since the mysterious and gruesome death of 42-year- old U.S. Army doctor Max Kungel at Number 71 Village backlands, Corentyne. Police have so far failed to apprehend a suspect. Kungel’s body was discovered on March 17, inside a vehicle in the Number 71 Village, Corentyne rice backlands. He was a medical doctor in the

U.S. Military.
He arrived in Guyana on March 7 to attend a religious function to commemorate his grandmother’s first death anniversary and was staying at his sister’s Anjanie’s residence at Lot 202, Number 72 Village, Corentyne.
His body, which bore two gunshot wounds, was discovered in a rented white Toyota Tundra whose doors were sprawled open. Kungel was robbed since his iPhone as well as two other cell phones and three pieces of jewellery were missing; his wallet was empty, save for a few U.S coins and a US$20.
Two .25 calibre bullets were recovered from his body, leading police to concentrate in a particular direction although not ruling out all other possibilities.
“A .25 calibre weapon is usually associated with a female,” a police source told this newspaper back in March. A close examination of Kungel’s wounds suggests that he was shot at close range.
“Very close,” the source declared. “Whoever did this planned it very well. This is a different murder from one in which two men are fighting. It is not straightforward. The fact that the phones were taken could be a plan to remove all possible leads,” the source explained in March.
Mysteriously, too, the suspect police held for questioning in connection with the murder, was found hanging in his jail cell at the Number 51 Police Station just three days after Kungel’s death. The death of Kungel’s cousin, 28-year-old Omesh ‘Radesh’ Thakurdin, formerly of Lot 286 Number 72 Village sparked protests from his relatives who demanded to know how their son was able to hang himself in a jail cell. Six months later, too, police have no explanation but to say that Thakurdin committed suicide. A lot of questions still linger in the minds of his relatives. Kungel’s funeral was attended by high- ranking representatives of the U.S. Military and the casket was draped in the U.S. flag.
Kungel’s mother, Gopattie ‘Lovelyn’ Kungel,  and sister, Anita Chunoo, had complained about a family dispute involving land and disagreement with one of Kungel’s other sisters. They also blasted the slothful investigations of the police here and called on the U.S. Embassy to bring in foreign law enforcement officers to handle the case.

The mother stated back in March that the property at Lot 199 Number 72 Village belonged to her husband, who passed away two years ago, and that Dr. Kungel had wanted the property, for which she has all the necessary documents.
“He and Anjie wanted it. Which family doesn’t have any ups and downs? Everybody has ups and downs,” she stated. “I found evidence (a phone card) that they went to a lawyer in Corriverton to transfer house and land”, she claimed.
But that, she stated, would have had no impact of her losing the house and land, since she has legal paperwork proving her ownership.
The family believes the entire murder was planned and orchestrated.
“This was planned for him…These persons knew everything. When he came out, where he would have gone, how much money he got, what paperwork was doing, the paperwork that said that he was taking care of the property.”
Six months later, Kaieteur News visited the place where Kungel was staying before his murder. Except for a close relative (who requested not to be named), all of Kungel’s other relatives have returned to the United States. The relative stated that Kungel’s mother had solicited the services of a local private investigator (PI) shortly before she left for the U.S.
The individual added that they last saw the PI in July when the person requested a copy of the video of Kungel’s funeral and also requested to see the grave site of Kungel, which they did. “He asked for a copy of the funeral tape and asked to see the cemetery and I took him there”, stated the relative. However, the relative stated that the PI was never heard from again. The relative added that a senior police rank from Eve Leary visited the residence a few months ago after the funeral and “asked a set of questions already asked by the Berbice police.”
“The family wants peace of mind in these matters”, stated the individual, speaking also about Thakurdin’s ‘suicide’ in his Number 51 Police Station jail cell. “Talking to the U.S. military about the case is easier than talking to the police in Guyana,” stated the family member.
They added that Thakurdin’s mother has been having emotional breakdowns since her son’s suicide in the jail cell and the family still wants answers from the police about his apparent suicide.
Dr Kungel’s mother showed Kaieteur News a signed Will and Testimony from Dr. Kungel, which he prepared in December 2004, requesting that his body be handed over to the School of Medical and Science of Learning Proposal, Drexel University in USA for scientific studies and research, and insurance monies from which he requested be donated to charity.  It therefore pains her that the body was buried in Guyana.
Several questions linger in a lot of people’s minds, six months after: Did the Kungels really have a property dispute? What were Kungel’s whereabouts on the night of his murder? Is there any credence to the police source who stated that a female is usually associated with a .25 caliber weapon? Was there sibling jealousy and rivalry among Kungel and his sister Anjie?
Did Thakurdin know anything about his cousin’s death? Why did he hang himself? Was it even a suicide? Why haven’t the U.S. law enforcement officials got involved in the case?
The answer to these and many other questions may go unanswered unless the police and relatives of Dr. Max Kungel get to the bottom of his gruesome murder.

 

 

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