New police hierarchy faces fresh wave of unsolved murders

Jun 02, 2014 News

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The new police hierarchy is facing an old challenge that has dogged their predecessors: trying to solve the fresh spate of unsolved killings in its already overflowing, cold-case file.

In the past five past five months of 2014, there have been several murders, including execution-style killings and body-dumpings that are disturbingly reminiscent of the ‘phantom squads’ era.
On Sunday, January 26, popular Mashramani costume designer Trevor Rose was riddled with bullets on the Eccles, East Bank Demerara public road, while sitting in the back seat of a car with Latoya Towler, the mother of one of his children.
The driver, Troy Nieunkerk, was also shot in the left shoulder while Towler was shot in the buttock.
They were shot by the driver of a heavily-tinted vehicle, who had intercepted the vehicle that Rose was travelling in.
All indications are that Rose was the gunman’s intended target. However, police say that they have no clear motive as to why the designer was slain. A source also said that the survivors gave them no positive information that could help to identify the gunman.
“We just have rumours (of why he was killed). The girl (Towler) never gave us anything positive,” an official said.
At around 01.00 hrs on May 8, a gunman, features hidden by a mask and a hoodie, walked into a yard in   Curtis Street, Albouystown, where footballer Orvin Milton sat with friends drinking and playing cards.
Standing behind Milton, the man said: “I looking for you (expletive) long” before shooting the 30-year-old footballer in the head.
The killer then fled through Le Repentir Cemetery.

Police reportedly have the names of three individuals who might have had something to do with Milton’s death, and have suggested that he was the victim of a vendetta.
Relatives have called on the police to solve this case, since the family said they received no justice when Milton’s brother, Vibert Weekes, was gunned down some four years ago. Weekes was killed a short distance away from the popular “Red Dragon” night club on Robb Street on January 09, 2010 by a lone shooter who was reportedly dressed in female attire.
A mere three days later, the body of 48-year-old former boxer Trevor Bumbury was found on the Ruimveldt main road opposite DIDCO.
Police at first speculated that he was a hit-and-run victim, until a post mortem revealed that he had been shot twice to the back of the head.
Police sources have said that Bumbury was a suspect in several robberies and was linked him to Rafeek Mohamed, another Charlestown resident, who was dumped in the Atlantic Ocean last December, after he was blasted in the face with a shotgun.
One case that may most likely remain unsolved is that of the unidentified man whose corpse was found on March 4 near the abandoned Vreed-en-hoop wharf.
The victim was lying face down and was wearing a pair of three-quarter trousers and a white jersey. The fingers and feet were missing and so was the head.  Police eventually found the skull nearby.

A pathologist surmised that someone had used a sharp instrument to sever the victim’s head. Although investigators were unable to determine the slain man’s race, they estimated that he was in his late thirties or early forties.
What appeared to be a name was tattooed on the dead man’s right arm. Police are still waiting for someone to come forward and identify the remains, which are at the Ezekiel Funeral Home.
And just two Saturdays ago, someone shot 27-year-old Rawle Newton called ‘Satan Ambassador’, and left his body on the Eccles access road, east Dank Demerara. He was positively identified three days later by relatives who turned up at the Lyken’s Funeral parlour.
Newton, of Agricola, East Bank Demerara, and Princes Street, Georgetown, was one of the main accused in the 2010 double murder of two Bartica-based gold and diamond dealers Jainarine Raghubar and Ramdeo Deonarine.
He and another accused were set free by a Bartica Magistrate last January after an almost three-year preliminary inquiry.
Newton had reportedly fled to neighbouring Venezuela almost immediately after his matter was discharged.
A wanted bulletin was subsequently issued for his arrest in connection with another robbery a few weeks later.
A female relative of the slain man believes that his death will be added to the long and growing list of unsolved murders in Guyana.
The unsolved cases include the murders of at least three women.
On March 26, the bound and partly nude body of 75-year-old Joyce Lewis was found in the bedroom of her two-storey house at Lot 3630 Christiani Street, North Ruimveldt.

Ms. Lewis had lived alone and police believe that her killers gained access to the top flat by climbing through a bay window near the verandah. The premises were ransacked, indicating that robbery was the primary motive.
Police found a footprint near the verandah, as well as several fingerprints in the house, but have been unable to link the prints to any suspects.
Three days later, 76-year-old Yvonne Adams was dead in her locked Amelia’s Ward, Linden home. She had been strangled with an electrical cord.
Mrs. Adams, who lived alone, frequently travelled overseas. Detectives believed that she was slain by someone who knew that she had recently collected a sum of money.
A neighbor had seen a man leaving the victim’s house the previous night. The individual was said to fit the description of a man who visited Mrs. Adams frequently. Police subsequently detained a 68-year-old Linden resident but found no strong evidence to implicate him in Mrs. Adams’ death.
Meanwhile, police are still trying to track down two men whom they believe murdered shopkeeper Sheniza Khan Bhola at Rock Creek, Cuyuni/Mazaruni five months ago. Bhola, 34, of Parfait Harmonie, West Bank Demerara was found dead in her locked shop at Rock Creek Backdam, Cuyuni/ Mazaruni two Thursdays ago. The body bore stab wounds as well as injuries to the head.
Bhola, who has two children, aged 14 and 13, had operated her shop for about four years.
Police are convinced that she was slain by two former employees. Relatives said that Relatives allege that Bhola had provided the men with food and later and found employment for them. According to reports, Bhola had even bought equipment for the men to assist them in prospecting.  It is alleged that the men also sold the equipment after killing her and made off with gold and other valuables.
In a wanted bulletin issued yesterday, police identified on of the suspects as Natton Anthony Stoute, who they say is wanted for questioning in relation to the murder.

He is of mixed race and brown in complexion. His last known address is listed as Helena No. 2 Mahaica, East Coast Demerara.
The police say that anyone with information that may lead to the arrest of Natton Anthony Stoute is asked to contact the police on telephone numbers 225-6411, 226-1333, 225-8196, 225-2722, 911 or the nearest police station.

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