Former murder accused to be tried for Travis Rudder’s murder

Feb 01, 2017 Court Stories, Features / Columnists, News

Former murder accused, Orpheus Johnson, has been committed to stand trial in the High Court for the June 2015 murder of Travis Rudder, who was also a former murder accused.

Murder Accused: Orpheus Johnson

Yesterday, City Magistrate Judy Latchman ruled that a prima facie case was made out against Johnson for the offence charged at the conclusion of a Preliminary Inquiry (PI).
The accused was informed that he will go before a judge and jury at the next practicable sitting of the Demerara Assizes.
Orpheus Johnson, 28, of Craig, East Bank Demerara is currently on remand for the murder which occurred on June 21, 2015 at Nandy Park, East Bank Demerara.
Gunmen firing semi-automatic pistols through a bedroom window pumped 12 bullets into Rudder and a few more rounds into his wife and baby son, as they slept in the bedroom of their Lot 130 Nandy Park, East Bank Demerara home.
By the time the gunmen’s clips were empty, 26-year-old Rudder laid sprawled and lifeless on his bed; his 18-month old son was badly wounded, with six gunshot wounds to the stomach and back, and Rudder’s reputed wife, Mawanza Gill, bleeding from gunshot wounds to both legs.
On Monday, two police ranks were called to give evidence when the PI continued.
Woman Police Corporal Shundel Bentick, the Subordinate Officer (SO) in charge of the Providence Police Station and Police Constable Tremain Thomas, who is attached to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) at the East La Penitence Police Outpost, both testified in relation to a post mortem report in favour of the deceased.
Last year, Johnson was committed to stand trial in the High Court for the murder of Gladstone George, who was killed while aboard a minibus at Public Road, Agricola, East Bank Demerara.
George, called ‘Brother’, 32, of Brutus Street, Agricola, was pronounced dead at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), minutes after he received two bullets to the head while he was sitting in the minibus on April 22, 2015.
The man had just joined the bus and from all indications, his killer was trailing him and waited for the opportunity to strike.
Johnson is well known to law enforcement authorities.
His criminal career dated way back to 2009, when he faced multiple charges; including murder, attempt murder and robbery under arms. However, Johnson was not convicted on the charges.
He was tried and freed in the High Court for the 2009 murder of Brendon Charles, whose body was found in a yard a short distance from his Kaneville, East Bank Demerara residence.
Rudder was accused of the March 2007 murder of his 17-year-old ex-girlfriend Donnis King, who was shot in the stomach at her Bagotstown, East Bank Demerara home.
He was arrested some six months after the killing, but was found not guilty in 2011.

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