Herstelling block maker murder… Wife offered killer airline ticket to ‘take out’ husband

Sep 13, 2015 News

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The estranged wife of Herstelling block maker, Nathan Persaud, could find herself in court as early as tomorrow after confessing to police that she had indeed paid a hit man to kill her husband.
The woman was arrested hours after Persaud’s body was discovered in his house at 66 Herstelling New Housing Scheme, East Bank Demerara with a stab wound to his chest and the back of his head bashed in.
The cracking of this murder is the latest in a series of recent successes by investigators of the police Criminal Investigations Department. Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum told this newspaper that the woman gave investigators a detailed account of how she contracted the killer, who is still at large, to eliminate her husband with whom she was having a bitter dispute over a property at Diamond, East Bank Demerara.
Kaieteur News was informed that the property in question is a two-storey house that once housed a business on the bottom flat.
While the matter is engaging the court, Persaud had moved to his mother’s house in Herstelling with his three sons. It was there that he met his death even before the court matter could have been completed.  The Crime Chief said that while the woman and another relative are in police custody, the hunt is still on for the actual killer.
This newspaper understands that the woman claimed that she had felt threatened after Persaud expressed confidence that the court matter would end in his favour and had told her that when it was over, she will have to live on the road.
She initially told detectives that while she had nothing to do with Persaud’s death, she was informed that her former spouse had concocted a plot with two men to execute her.
But investigators were soon to learn that it was the woman herself who carefully designed a scheme to get rid of her husband. The woman confessed that she met the killer about two weeks ago through her niece who is also in police custody.
According to reports, the killer who has a girlfriend residing in one of the islands of the Caribbean, was eager to travel there to surprise her but did not have the finances.
This, he confided to the woman’s niece, who is also a friend of his girlfriend.
So when Persaud’s wife found out about the man’s eagerness to travel to the Caribbean she used the opportunity to offer him assistance to purchase his airline ticket– if he would do her a favour. That favour was to kill her husband.
“She told him that she and a man had a problem and the only way she will feel comfortable was if the man was killed,” a police source told this newspaper. The man agreed to take the job and Persaud’s wife gave him her husband’s address.
She however advised the killer to wait until Persaud’s sons had left the house before attempting the task.
It is believed that Persaud’s killer travelled to his Lot 66 Herstelling New Scheme, EBD home from the city. Investigators are basing their theory on the fact that the killer spent a little over 20 minutes asking residents in the area for directions to Persaud’s home.
The suspect allegedly had his victim’s address written on a piece of paper.
“It’s very clear that he (suspect) didn’t know where he was going. I am certain he never met the man he killed,” a police source said.
There are also reports that a resident from the area, after receiving a description of the alleged killer, said that she was in a minibus with an individual who fitted the killer’s description.
The suspect is reportedly fair in complexion, about six feet tall with afro-hair style. He was wearing a pair of blue pants and was carrying a blue haversack.
On Friday, when this newspaper revisited the scene, an individual, claiming to have seen the suspected killer, said that she was in the area on Thursday when the man approached her.
“He had a piece of paper and he asked me if I know where Lot 66 is located and I tell him that I am not from the area and he walk away.”
Kaieteur News was informed that two days before Persaud was killed, someone had telephoned him.
“The killer called him two days before and tell him ‘I am coming to kill you’,” a relative said. She further explained that Persaud had confided in his sons.
“He told his sons that his life was in danger and that he has to leave the country.”
This newspaper was informed that Persaud was waiting on the court matter to end. “He tell his sons that once the court matter finish, he will transfer his shares in their names and he will go and get his visa and leave the country because he is scared,” the relative said.
On Thursday neighbours said that they heard the man screaming earlier in his house but they were too scared to enter his home since they were all females.
“We called the (Providence) police station but the lines were engaged. He was screaming on and off. When the screaming stopped, we went back inside,” a neighbour said.
Kaieteur News was told that about 10 minutes after the screaming stopped, a strange man was seen walking out of Persaud’s yard.
He allegedly smiled and waved at a neighbour.
It is not clear if the killer received his money for his airline ticket, but according to Crime Chief Blanhum, there is no indication that he has fled the country. “We know who he is and we are trying to get him,” the Crime Chief told this newspaper.

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