Latest update January 17th, 2025 6:30 AM
Murdered woman’s body parts were pulled from Atlantic Ocean — police witness testifies
The head, arms and legs of murdered US-based businesswoman, Samantha Benjamin, were pulled from the Atlantic Ocean along the Annandale foreshore, East Coast Demerara (ECD). This is according to police rank Deoraj Ramdeholl who testified yesterday when the trial of Imran Ramsaywack, also known as “Kevin Jones”, “Ramsa” and “Coolie Boy”, who is charged with murdering Benjamin, continued before Justice Sandil Kissoon and a jury at the High Court in Demerara.
Samantha Benjamin
According to reports, Benjamin was killed in a house at Middle Walk, Buxton, on March 25, 2015 and her body was dismembered and subsequently dumped into the Atlantic Ocean, along the same village. It was discovered the following morning with the head, arms and legs missing. The body parts were subsequently discovered in the Atlantic Ocean after waters receded.
When the trial continued Ramdeholl testified via SKYPE. During March 2015, he said he was stationed at the Vigilance Police Station, East Coast Demerara and was attached to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).
According to him, on March 26, 2015 at around 07:30hrs, he received an anonymous call from someone. As a result of what was related to him, Ramdeholl said he visited the Annandale foreshore where he found the body of a woman which was stuck between two rocks.
The body, according to him, was clad in a blue bra and pink skirt; it had no head, arms and legs. He added that upon examining the body, there were chop wounds on the abdomen. He said that he received a head, two arms and two legs from the sea. The police rank told the jury that on April 03, 2015, he received certain information and as a result he and a party of policemen went to 103 Middle Walk Buxton ECD.
Imran Ramsaywack
Once there, he made contact with Ramsaywack, who gave his name as “Kevin Jones.” Ramsaywack, he said, told him that he and Benjamin resided at the property and that he last saw her on March 27, 2015 around 10:00hrs. Ramdeholl told the court that he searched Benjamin’s bedroom where he found what appeared to be blood on a beam and mirror. At this point, he testified to cautioning the murder accused before putting a murder allegation to him.
The police rank recounted that he searched a fowl pen in the yard and found a brown handle cutlass before escorting Ramsaywack to the Vigilance Police Station. There, he added, Ramsaywack was shown the cutlass and admitted that he and two other men, “Itchy” and “Zakari”, used it to chop off Benjamin’s head, arms and legs. These two men, he said, were arrested but later released.
The police witness recounted that the murder accused was taken back to the house where he pointed out a yellow wheelbarrow that was used to transport the woman’s body to the foreshore. The police rank also told the court that Ramsaywack took him to an area at the foreshore where they chopped off the woman’s head. He added that the remains were transported to Memorial Gardens.
Questioned by Ramsaywack’s lawyer, Ravindra Mohabir, as to whether he retrieved fingerprints from the cutlass or wheelbarrow, Ramdeholl replied in the negative. The wheelbarrow and cutlass were tendered in court for identification purposes through another police witness.
On Wednesday, Orland Alleyne, a police rank attached to the Crime Laboratory at the Criminal Investigation Department Headquarters, Eve Leary, Georgetown, was called to give testimony.
He said that on May 26, 2015 around 09:30am, he was performing duties at the Crime Laboratory when he was instructed by his superior to visit a scene at Buxton where a body was discovered.
Alleyne told the court that he armed himself with a digital camera. On arrival at the location, the police rank said he saw a large crowd and the remains of a headless woman, whom he later learnt was Benjamin.
According to the witness, he took several photographs of the woman’s remains as well as the surroundings. Added to that, he and another officer searched the scene and found a head and limbs. The photographs taken by Alleyne, which totalled 40, were tendered, admitted and marked as exhibits in the trial, which is set to continue next week Monday.
State Counsel Abigail Gibbs and State Counsel Mandel Moore are appearing for the prosecution.
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