Cops challenged by new ‘cold cases’

Apr 09, 2018 News

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A young businessman is found with a gunshot to head.
Two Pomeroon men are shot dead after a drinking spree; an elderly woman is found in her home with her throat slashed, and a Linden man is shot dead and his car stolen.
These are some of the new ‘cold cases’ that have cropped up this year, and appear to be posing a challenge to police.
On January 10, 27-year-old ‘Korner Kick’ bar manager Tevin Parris was found lying in his bed, in the upper flat of his Lot 66 Garnett Street, Newtown home. He had been shot in the head.
An unlicensed 9mm pistol, with 14 live rounds, was found in his right hand. A matching spent shell was found near the body.
Parris had managed the popular Korner Kick Restaurant and Bar located at the corner of Lime and Bent Streets, Georgetown.
Parris’ relatives insisted that he had not taken his own life, and a postmortem revealed that his death had been staged to look like a suicide.

The postmortem indicated that the young businessman was shot from a distance. A spent shell was reportedly found under the body.
The postmortem, conducted by Government pathologist Dr. Nehaul Singh, also revealed that Parris died from a single gunshot wound, “where the bullet entered his right nostril and exited the middle of the head.” It was suggested that the victim would have suffered much more facial damage had he been shot at close range.
Police had detained a man who was in a relationship with a female relative of Parris.’
Detectives have reportedly confirmed that Parris had loaned the ‘close friend’ $100,000. Investigators are seeking to ascertain whether the loan may be a motive for the killing.
However, they were forced to release the suspect after keeping him in custody for 72 hours without being able to link him to the killing.
Police swabbed Parris’ hands and those of the suspect for evidence of gunpowder residue, but are still awaiting the results from those tests.

Baffling police also are the deaths Ambrose Baharally, 28, of Grant Stelling, Hope Lower Pomeroon, and Martin Godette, 23, of Friendship Canal, Lower Pomeroon.
The coconut farmers were found dead with gunshot wounds to their heads at Baharally’s home on January 14.
The deaths had initially appeared to be execution-style killings.
But one report alleged that the two coconut farmers and a third man were drinking and smoking marijuana when Baharally shot Godette. The third man reportedly fled the scene. There are suggestions that Baharally then took his own life, but the motive for the killing is unclear.
Baharally’s wife later led detectives to an area where she had allegedly disposed of the murder weapon after discovering the two bodies.
Police recovered a 9mm Beretta pistol with a magazine, one .38 revolver, 16 live cartridges, 21 live .38 rounds, 19 live 9mm rounds, six .32 rounds, two 9mm spent shells and 51.5 grams of cannabis.
It was revealed in a postmortem that while Godette was shot from a distance, Baharally was shot at close range.
However, police are also awaiting the results of tests for gunpowder residue in this case.
Even more baffling is the March 12 killing of Romen ‘Eddie’ Gomes.
The 33-year-old Linden businessman was shot dead at Lot 53 Wismar Hill, where he lived with his two-year-old son.
It is alleged that a woman went to his home to collect the child, and saw a man with dreadlocks, who she said was acting strangely, sitting in front of Gomes’ home.
The woman said she then called for the child, who walked out of the yard to her. She allegedly looked in the yard, and she saw Gomes with his hands tied and a man standing next to him.
The woman said she collected the child and hurried away. She said she then heard a gunshot and immediately alerted the police.
Gomes was subsequently found dead at his home with gunshot wounds to the head. A yellow rope was still strapped around his left hand.
While the motive for the murder is unclear, a relative said that Gomes had earlier collected a “box hand.”
They said that the killers also stole Gomes’ new Toyota Allion.
According to the relative, Gomes operated a grocery shop where he also sold wholesale beverages. He lived alone with his son after his wife, Althia Gill-Gomes, whom he married last November, migrated to the United States of America a year ago.
On March 14, a man who was doing some work for 68-year-old Ursilla Padarat, went to the pensioner’s Bell West, West Bank Demerara home.
He reportedly observed that the lights were on and a padlock was on the outside of the door.
He then entered Padarat’s home and found her sitting upright in a chair by her hallway. Her throat had been slit.
There was reportedly no sign of forced entry to the one-bedroom premises.
Police sources said that Padarat was last seen alive at around 19.30 hrs the previous day.
Some residents have alleged that Padarat had quarreled with a drug addict that day.
The drug addict reportedly told the pensioner that he would “deal with” her later.
Police detained, then released a friend of the individual, but are reportedly still to locate the drug addict.

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