Durban Street murder: Ballistics test links weapon found at suspect’s home to murder of businessman

– suspect confesses to crime

Ballistics tests carried out on the weapon recovered at the home of Andrew Ridley have indicated that it is the same weapon that was used to kill Businessman Shimron Adams, aka Shem, who was gunned down at his business place in Lodge, Georgetown on Boxing Night.
Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum made this disclosure, and stated that Ridley, also known as “Aids Man”, a resident of of Campbell Street, Albouystown, Georgetown, has confessed to committing the heinous crime with the help of an accomplice.
This development has come just two days after Police arrested Ridley’s girlfriend and another woman, who were on scene at the time of the murder and robbery. Under questioning, Ridley’s girlfriend told investigators that she had shared an intimate relationship with both the businessman and the suspect, and when her boyfriend had found out that she and the businessman were involved in a relationship, he had threatened to rob the businessman. She said she had recognised the suspects on the night of the murder and robbery when they barged into the business place.

Ridley, the main suspect in the murder/robbery, was arrested on Wednesday, and the murder weapon was recovered in his home. Akelow Marshall, 20, another suspect in the case, was arrested on Thursday afternoon. Marshall resides at Lot 273 Independence Boulevard, East La Penitence, Georgetown, but was nabbed by Police in East Berbice, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne). Ranks have said that at the time of Marshall’s arrest, they were acting on information received that the suspect was attempting to flee the country to Suriname.

Shimron Adams, aka Shem, was killed during a daring robbery committed at his business place at Durban and Chapel Streets in Lodge, Georgetown on Boxing Night. The 41-year-old, who had operated a liquor store, hailed from Macaw Drive in Kaneville, East Bank Demerara. He was attacked by two male suspects who were reportedly wearing surgical face masks, one of whom was also armed with a handgun.
According to Adams’s 29-year-old lover, at around 21:30h on Boxing Night, she had gone to Adams’s business place, and at that time the businessman was wearing a gold finger ring and one gold band, and had a small bag hanging on his shoulder.
At about 23:30h, Adams closed his business place and started to pack items into a freezer. About ten minutes later, Adams opened the shutter for them to leave from the bottom flat, and in the blink of an eye, the two suspects entered the building via the same shutter and ordered them to lie on the ground, and they complied.
The unarmed suspect then took off the businessman’s gold band and finger ring, and ordered him to get up, which he did. She said the suspect then held onto the businessman’s shoulder bag and pulled at it, but Adams continued to hold onto the bag to prevent the suspect from taking it.
The suspect who was armed with the firearm then discharged a round at Adams, and it struck him in his right abdomen. He fell to the ground, remained unconscious, and was subsequently rushed to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The scene was processed by ranks from CID Headquarters, and one 9mm spent shell and one warhead were recovered.
Prior to this murder and robbery, Ridley was wanted in connection with the murder of Dexter McFarlene, who was killed during a shootout in Laing Avenue, West Ruimveldt, Georgetown on November 11, 2022. He is currently before the court for discharging a loaded firearm at a man with intent to harm him back in July 2022; and, in January, he was charged with robbing a woman at gunpoint of over $4.5 million in jewellery, cash, and cell phones.