Body found at Leguan: Taxi driver arrested, as Major Crimes Unit takes over probe

A taxi driver has been arrested in connection with the murder of a Canadian-Guyanese woman, 68-year-old Roma Dookeran, whose partially-nude body was found at Uniform Beach, Leguan Island, Region Three.

The driver is being questioned by detectives as the Major Crimes Unit has taken over the investigation to ascertain what occurred leading to the discovery of the woman’s body on March 17, 2023.
According to previous reports, CCTV footage shows that the woman was dropped off at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) by her nephew, at about 22:45h on March 14. However, instead of boarding her flight back to Canada, the woman took a taxi and departed the CJIA.
Speaking to this publication on Monday, Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum revealed that after being dropped at the CJIA airport, the woman took a taxi to Diamond, East Bank Demerara, and subsequently to the Pegasus Hotel, Kingston Georgetown, on March 14.
Reports are that investigators are also reviewing footage from the Demerara Harbour Bridge to determine if the driver took the woman over the bridge.
A post-mortem examination conducted on Dookeran, determined that she died from blunt trauma to the head and compression to the neck.
Dookeran, formerly of Pert Village, Essequibo Coast, Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), arrived in Guyana to finalise several business transactions a week prior to the discovery of her body.
Days after her partially-nude body was found, the woman’s nephews had positively identified her as their aunt.
After learning that she had not arrived home and her whereabouts were unknown, they decided to make checks at the Ezekiel Funeral Parlour since a body was recovered, and the photo which was posted on the Police Force’s Facebook page bore a resemblance to their missing aunt.