Man waves to neighbour after hammering block-maker to death

Sep 11, 2015 News

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By Romila Boodram and Dale Andrews

For the past 16 years since its establishment, the small community of Herstelling New Scheme, East Bank Demerara (EBD), existed in relative peace and tranquility until yesterday.

That was all changed in a few minutes yesterday with the brutal murder of one of its residents.

The bloodied body of 42-year-old Nathan Persaud, a father of four, was found lying face down in the living room of his Lot 66 Herstelling home around 09:45 hrs.

The back of Persaud’s head was bashed in and detectives recovered a hammer, two knives and a piece of rock, all of which had blood stains, from the immediate crime scene.

Persaud, a block-maker, who only moved to the area a few months back, appeared to have been bludgeoned to death in what is being described as a brazen daylight attack in the normally peaceful community.

The shocking discovery was made by neighbours, minutes after they reportedly heard Persaud screaming in his two bedroom apartment.

They later observed a “strange” man walking calmly out of the block maker’s yard while waving at a neighbour with a smile.

Persaud, who shared the single flat house with his stepfather and three sons, was alone at home when the attack occurred, and judging from the look of the interior of the building, he put up a fierce fight for his life.

Detectives are trying to establish a clear motive for the block-maker’s murder, since they have almost ruled out robbery.

They are basing their initial assessment on the fact that several valuables in the dead man’s apartment were left behind and it appeared that the killer made no attempt to search the apartment.

This newspaper received information that the man and his wife were engaged in a bitter dispute over a property located at Diamond, EBD.

The couple parted a few months ago. Persaud and three of his sons moved into his mother’s house at Herstelling New Housing Scheme.

When Kaieteur News visited the scene yesterday, police had sealed off the entrance to the house where the murder occurred. They were seen hunting for clues, while neighbours and relatives gathered outside hoping to get a glimpse of the dead man.

Persaud’s neighbours claimed that 15 minutes did not elapse from the time they heard his screams to the time they saw a stranger leaving his yard.

One neighbour, who asked not to be named, told this newspaper that she was in her yard when she heard the now dead man, screaming.

“He was hollering and I run in front to see what it was but I didn’t see anything, I just hear he (Persaud) screaming. I see other neighbours peeping too but was sheer women at home, so we were scared to go over and check on him,” the woman said.

She added that the screaming was “on and off” and lasted for about seven minutes.

Another neighbour expressed shock at Persaud’s death since she claimed that she had spoken to him earlier yesterday morning while they were both purchasing greens from a van.

The woman opined that the killer picked the right time to commit the brutal act.

“He come when all them men gone to work because when we hear the screams was only woman peep out and we were all scared to go over,” she said.

She explained that there is a mechanic shop located nearby and workers would usually be around the area but at the time of the murder, the men were all out on some other work.

Kaieteur News was told that while Persaud was screaming for his life, neighbours called the Providence Police Station but the lines were engaged.

“We called so many times but the lines were engaged. When the screaming stopped, I went back inside my house and then about 10 minutes later another neighbour called me and said someone see a man walking out of his (Persaud’s) yard,” the neighbour stated.

She explained that as the news of the stranger walking out of Persaud’s yard spread, other neighbours gathered in front of the man’s property.

“We call for him but no one answered and when we peeped through the front door, we see he (Persaud) lying on the floor so we send another neighbour to go and bring the police,” the woman said.

Another resident said that the suspect, whom he described as red skin, about six feet tall with afro-hair style, was wearing blue pants and had a blue haversack on his back.

Neighbours reported that the stranger was enquiring about Persaud’s address earlier.

“Like he didn’t know where he was going because someone see him in another street earlier, walking. He (suspect) also asked someone through our street to direct him to Lot 66 (Persaud’s address),” the resident said.

He explained that when he heard Persaud screaming, a few neighbours went out to investigate but eventually went back inside when the screaming stopped.

“I heard that two neighbours stayed outside and about 10 minutes later, they see this guy walking out of the yard and he (killer) waved and smiled at one of them neighbours,” the resident stressed.

Another neighbour told this newspaper that he heard the screaming and then the sounds of objects falling to the ground but paid no attention to it since loud noise is a regular occurrence from Persaud’s when he and his sons have disagreements.

“At one time I thought that the father and sons were fighting and I wanted to go over and help but then I remember a few years back when I tried to help a woman who was getting beat…the husband run me out the yard,” an elderly woman stated.

The dead man’s son, Samuel Persaud, said that he and his two brothers got up yesterday morning and his father packed their lunch bags as usual.

He said that he and another brother left for work while the younger sibling went to school.

“When I reach to work, my grandmother called me (from overseas) and she said she trying to call my father and he not answering. So I called his phone and he didn’t answer,” the younger Persaud explained.

He added that after a few unanswered calls, he decided to call a relative who lives nearby.

“When I called, they tell me to come home now. Then my brother called too and tell me to come home now,” he stated. He was greeted with the most disturbing news when he arrived home.

Relatives of the dead man said that they have no idea why anyone would want to kill Persaud since he goes about and do his work without troubling anyone.

With Persaud’s death, residents of the Herstelling New Housing Scheme are now fearful that the peace of their once tranquil community has been shattered.

“We used to leave our doors open and go out, but not anymore,” one pioneering resident of the area told this newspaper.

Investigations into Persaud’s death are ongoing.

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