Linden man charged with murder of girlfriend; buried her in shallow grave

Shaquawn Alleyne, also known as “IsWe Boss,” a resident of Linden in Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Upper Berbice), was on Tuesday arraigned virtually before Linden Magistrate Wanda Fortune on a charge of murder committed on his girlfriend Shawnette Dover.

Unrepresented by legal counsel, the 24-year-old Alleyne was not required to plead to the indictable charge, and has been remanded to prison until February 27, 2024.
During the proceedings, he revealed that he is the father of a 4-month-old child, and mentioned that he had had a narcotics charge instituted against him in 2018, but he claimed that that charge had been dismissed. He also provided his address as 5052 Block 22, Wismar, Linden.
Prosecutor Vernette Pindar Whittaker informed the court about an ongoing investigation into the firearm used in the crime, and added that the person who had allegedly purchased the murder weapon remains in custody. That person has been identified as Shakeel Austin of Lot 200 Block 22, Wismar, Linden. She informed that Austin had been arrested in Linden on Saturday, and has been taken to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) Headquarters, where he was told of the shooting death of Dover at Canvas City, Wismar between April 3 and April 29, 2021.

She said that, under interrogation, Austin told detectives that during the search for Dover, Alleyne had told him that he had a .38 special pistol to sell for $100,000, and had asked if he knew of anyone who would want to buy it. However, Austin had agreed to keep the weapon and lend Alleyne the cash.
Austin had further explained that he later met the murder accused at a house not far from Bayroc Ground, where he handed over the money and collected the firearm, which he kept at his aunt’s house at Cinderella City.
Moreover, Austin had said that, about two weeks later, he learned that Shonette’s sister had gone to the Police and told them that Alleyne had shot and killed Dover, thus resulting in Police initiating a manhunt for Alleyne.
Following that development, Austin said, he realised that the gun he had was the murder weapon, and as such, had made attempts to get rid of it, the prosecutor informed. She further informed that investigators were making every effort to locate the murder weapon.
When he was 17 years old, Alleyne was arrested and charged with having 16 grams of amphetamines, but that matter was dismissed. He had also been charged with causing grievous bodily harm, but that matter was discontinued after the virtual complainant had chosen to be compensated.
Alleyne, who had been on the run since committing the act, was arrested in Suriname and handed over to local law enforcement officers last week. He has since told detectives that he had accidentally shot his girlfriend, and that it was not a premeditated act.
He detailed that Dover had made breakfast on the day in question, and they were all sitting in his living room when he sent her 15-year-old sister to fetch him his .38 revolver. He said that while cleaning the weapon, he had pulled back the hammer, pointed it, and waved it around. He claimed that Dover had cautioned him about playing with the weapon, and his finger had fallen on the trigger and the gun had gone off.
The situation had gained widespread national interest when Alleyne had initially reported Dover’s disappearance, and had taken charge of the search efforts until her body was eventually discovered. The pair had, as a couple, resided in Wismar, Linden.
After being killed by gunshot on April 3, 2021, Dover was buried in the suspect’s backyard, but a younger sister of the victim, who had witnessed the shooting, alerted Police to what had transpired. With guidance from that sister, the victim’s decomposed body was found in a shallow grave aback Alleyne’s Canvas City, Linden home on April 30, 2021.
Alleyne’s father and Dover’s 15-year-old sister had been arrested during the investigation. Police had indicated that the teen had led them to the shallow grave where the missing woman’s remains were buried after confessing to being at the scene of the crime when the woman died on April 3, 2021.
On May 4, 2021, Dover’s teen sister was charged with accessory after the fact of murder.