A former rank of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) on Sunday confessed to the heinous crime of beheading his uncle, following a series of family disputes.
Twenty-seven-year-old Dwayne Tappin, called “Waynie”, confessed to decapitating his 51-year-old uncle, Randolph Seenauth at 125 South Better Hope, East Coast Demerara (ECD) at around 16:30h on Sunday.
Dwayne Tappin, called “Waynie”, the confessed murderer
Neighbours were reportedly awakened by a loud commotion coming from the property and the Police were called to investigate.
However, the gruesome discovery was made by the lawmen who reported that the dead man’s body and head were discovered in different parts of the bloodied house.
Guyana Times understands that after hacking his uncle, Tappin fled the scene but later surrendered himself to the Police. When this publication arrived at the crime scene, Tappin was at the time being escorted by investigators to locate the cutlass he used to kill Seenauth.
Speaking with neighbours to ascertain what motivated the crime, most revealed that they were unaware of what transpired and were shocked after learning what had transpired in the home.
The house in which the murder occurred
One neighbour said Seenauth would be seen in the area and described him as a very quiet individual who would do odd and ends for a number of villagers.
However, when this newspaper visited the dead man’s sister, Indra Seenauth, she revealed that the murder was committed because of a property dispute in the family.
Indra Seenauth explained that she is the owner of the property in which her brother lived and is his caregiver, as he is epileptic.
The distraught woman said that the property was given to her by her mother who passed away in 2005 with instructions that she care for her other relatives (documents which were seen by Guyana Times).
However, Seenauth disclosed that ever since her mother’s passing, there have been a number of “fights” in the family for the property.
“My mother allowed my sister to live at the house with her. However, she used to treat my mother bad and cuss my mother and so, she and her children. So my mother go and change her paper, the transport and everything, she put everything in my name. The whole village in Better Hope can tell you, when my mother died, I take care of my brother and sister them. But my sister, the one who son kill my brother, was never pleased and would always cause trouble,” Seenauth told this newspaper.
The prime suspect, Dwayne Tappin, is the son of Indra Seenauth’s sister, and is said to be an employee of the Ministry of the Presidency.
Tappin, reportedly with the assistance from other family members, would occasionally break into the dead man’s house and assault him. Indra noted that several reports were lodged at the Plaisance Police Station to attest to this.
She said that on several occasions, her brother’s life and her own have been threatened. Seenauth said, “I start to keep away from the property because they keep telling me that they gon kill me. So I ask my brother to come out for his food, I does ask neighbours to watch over him or sometimes my daughter does go and check up on him”.
Recently, the property dispute matter was reportedly called to ourt and Seenauth was granted the property. This publication was told by the woman that coupled with that, the confessed murderer threatened to commit the act because of an incident which occurred two Fridays ago.
Tappin, along with two other male friends broke into the property and were allegedly involved in misconduct with a 14-year-old girl. The incident was reported to the Police.
“Two weeks ago he and two other bai carry a girl at 11:00h in the night and (allegedly) rape she. The Police came in and the girl pointed out who rape she and he (Tappin) staining my brother and seh how my brother tell the Police,” the woman tearfully explained.
Seenauth added that since that incident, Tappin threatened on several occasions to end the man’s life. “When me go and see my brother this morning, ow god, his head deh one side and his body deh laying another side, he didn’t deserve that,” Seenauth cried.
Investigations into the gruesome killing are continuing and Tappin is expected to be charged shortly.
