Mark on windscreen confirms car belongs to missing court witness Burnt body believed to be my son – Mom

Nov 03, 2019 News

---

By Trishan Craig

The torched car found on Friday last is confirmed to be that of the key murder witness, Collin Rodney.

This is according to his mother, Jacqueline Hunter, who broke the news to this publication yesterday.
The woman said that she was told by police officials that they found number markings on the windshield of the vehicle which matches with the registration number, PRR 1076, of her son’s car.
Hunter also mentioned that she journeyed to Berbice to a funeral parlor where she was shown the burnt body which was found in the trunk of the car.
She said that by tomorrow, DNA testing is likely to be conducted to confirm if it is that of her son.
Once the testing and a post mortem examination are conducted, the body it will be handed over to the family.
One week after Collin Rodney went missing, the burnt remains of a body in the trunk of a torched car was found.
The gruesome discovery was made at around 13:00 hrs on Friday last at a desolate and swampy area at Letter T, Mahaicony, East Coast Demerara.
A senior police official told Kaieteur News that an anonymous caller contacted ranks at the Weldaad Police Station between 14:00hrs and 17:00hrs to say that a car was on fire at the Letter Kenny backlands; an area that is surrounded by coconut estates and rice fields.
Upon arrival at the scene, the official said that they came across a badly burnt vehicle, which appeared to be a Toyota Allion.
A stench was emanating from the vehicle. On opening the trunk, the ranks came across the horrible sight of a corpse, which had been burnt beyond recognition.
Crime scene ranks from Georgetown also scoured the scene. They eventually assisted in placing the remains in a bag. The corpse was then taken to a funeral parlor.
Thirty-six-year-old Rodney of 70 Joseph Pollydore Street, Lodge and his silver grey Toyota Allion vanished on October 25.
He was a key witness, in the murder of his cousin, Marlon Seon Rodney, called ‘George’.
On Friday evening, when this publication arrived at the home of Collin’s mother, she was trying to console her family members and neighbours in her yard, which is next to her son’s home.
Persons were weeping and trying to console one another as they paced the yard.
While the remains are still to be identified, Mrs. Hunter appeared to have resigned herself to the fact that the victim is her missing son.
“I can’t even begin to say how I feel,” she lamented, as she sat on a chair in the bottom verandah of her two storey home.
“If the body that was found is my son, I’m putting whoever that do it and everything in the hands of God. My son never harm anybody and they just take him and kill him. Whoever it is, I don’t know, but my son didn’t deserve that.”
Rodney’s sister in bitter tears added that she was deeply hurt and that her brother did not deserve what was done to him as she said: “Not a soul could say my brother was a trouble maker.”
According to Hunter, she was always of the suspicion that something had happened to her son. She had told Kaieteur News that her son had left home around 08:45 hrs on the day in question.
“He had to return to court to be cross-examined by the defendants in the matter. When he left home, I didn’t see what he was wearing because by the time I look outside, he was already in his car leaving.”
The woman added that during that morning, she had called her son three times and at all times, the call rang out, going to voicemail.
“Normally, I would go to court every time the matter is called. However, that day I had some errands to take care of. I asked Marlon’s mother what happened to the matter that day and she said it was put off until November 4.”
“I then asked her if she had seen Collin at court and she said no. Soon as she said that, I know something had happened to my son.”
The heartbroken mother said that if the remains prove to be those of her child, her son will always be remembered as a person who was never in trouble.
Even when there was a family issue, he would leave the home to calm down and return.
The horrific discovery has also left Mrs. Hunter in a more fearful state for the family.
“I don’t want any other of my family to be involved in this. Let us leave it as that. My son’s evidence was just to say what his cousin told him. There was no intention to cause trouble.”
Despite not yet receiving any firm confirmation from the police on the identification of the body, the mother said that what is left for her to do now is to collect her son’s body.
“I’m just glad that at least I got a little remains that I can put in a place and go visit for closure.”
Thirty-nine-year-old Osafa Grundell, called ‘Safo’ from Freeman Street, East La Penitence, Georgetown and James Fraser, 21, called ‘Dab’ from Garnett Street, Georgetown are on remand before Senior Magistrate Faith McGusty in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court.
It is alleged that between April 25, and April 30, last, at Norton Street, Lodge, Georgetown, they murdered Marlon Seon Rodney, called ‘George’.
According to reports, Marlon Rodney, a 35-year-old taxi driver of Lot 71 Norton Street, Lodge, Georgetown was involved in an argument with Grundell, Fraser and another man called ‘Curl Up’.
The defendants reportedly pulled out guns and discharged several rounds at Marlon, who was hit in the left leg. A passerby, identified as 24-year-old Shaquille Dion, of Joseph Pollydore Street, Lodge was also shot in the process.
The injured men were rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) where Dion was treated and sent away, while Marlon was admitted in a critical condition. He later succumbed to his injuries.

 

 

---

---