DPP recommends Police conduct further probe

Linden double murder

The Director of Prosecutions (DPP) has advised Police in Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice) to conduct further investigations into the deaths of 58-year-old Leonard Reece and his 36-year-old nephew Ronald Wong, whose bodies were found at Three Friends Mines last Saturday following a chopping incident.
This is according to Regional Commander Superintendent Hugh Winter: Police in Linden had sought legal advice on the way forward pertaining to the discovery of the men’s bodies. It was highly suspected that they had both chopped each other to death. It is believed that the two were involved in a fight at some time between 01:15h and 03:00h on Saturday. Their bodies were discovered by neighbours who rushed over to the home after an alarm was raised by Reece’s differently-abled son.
Two persons from the community were taken into custody for questioning by Police, but they were released on Monday.
Police, in a statement issued on Saturday, said Wong, who was of unsound mind, was released from prison during the month of April, after he was convicted of attempted murder.

Following his release, he went to live with Reece, who would usually cook for him. Police said that Reece’s brother of Three Friends Mines, who also lives at Industrial Area, Mackenzie, Linden, received a phone call at about 01:30h from his niece, who told him that his nephew chopped his brother, Leonard.
He then called his brother-in-law, who related the same story to him. He subsequently went to the Mackenzie Police Station and made a report.
According to the Police, the Chairman of Three Friends-Coomacka Mines, who lives about two houses away from the men, said that at about 01:15h, while she was asleep, she was awakened by sounds coming from Reece’s house.
She related that she immediately went out on her verandah, where she saw the man’s son jump through a window and shout, “Murder!” twice in a loud tone of voice. She immediately raised an alarm, and other neighbours went to Reece’s house and made the gruesome discovery.
Police said Reece’s body had several wounds, and was covered in blood in the house, while Wong’s body was found in a paddle boat in the nearby river, lying face down with several wounds.