DPP recommends murder charge for 5 teens

Professor’s murder

– to appear in court today

Just four days after Guyanese-born American Professor Perry Mars was found dead in his Prashad Nagar, Georgetown home, gagged and tied to a chair, the Director of Public Prosecutions, Shalimar Ali-Hack has advised that murder charges be instituted against five of the teenagers, who were arrested for the murder.
This is according to Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum, who informed Guyana Times that the sixth teenager, who was arrested would not be charged for murder as he only received some of the stolen items that were taken during the incident. The five suspects will be placed before the courts today.
Professor Mars, 75, of Lot 395 Bissessar Avenue, Prashad Nagar, was discovered by his wife in a room about 19:00h on Thursday. The house was ransacked and several articles and cash were missing.
A post-mortem performed on the body of the Professor revealed that he died as a result of manual strangulation compounded by multiple trauma to the face and head.
The six youngsters, none older than 18, were subsequently arrested in the Campbellville and Sophia areas and were positively identified by eyewitnesses who saw them on Thursday evening removing suitcases from the now dead man’s home and placing them in a car.
From reports, the now dead man would normally help the same group of teenagers. They would visit the home and take on jobs of cleaning the yard and assisting the Professor in washing his vehicles. He also assisted them with food items sometimes.
The Crime Chief had earlier told Guyana Times that five of the teenagers, including a female, gave Police statements that detailed the actual robbery and murder. Based on reports, the mastermind of the episode is a 17-year-old girl, who frequented the man’s house and lived nearby.
On the day of the incident, she reportedly phoned her boyfriend and informed him that the Professor would be at home alone and that it was an opportune time to commit the robbery.
The boyfriend, according to their statement, agreed and picked up a few friends and went to Prashad Nagar. While there, they met with the mastermind and planned the robbery. The girl then walked to the man’s house and upon seeing her, he opened the door and let her in. As she entered, she left the door ajar.
The others then entered Mars’ home and attacked him. First, they reportedly duct taped his hands and feet and tied him to a chair after which one of them strangled him, since he would have seen their faces. The suspects then collected a sum of cash and other valuables and left the premises.