Murder of WCB pensioner : 7 stab wounds, asphyxia, fractured skull cause death – PME

…police search for neighbour

Police have confirmed that they are on the hunt for the man, who is believed killed an 85-year-old pensioner on Monday.
On Tuesday afternoon the police released the name provided a name and photograph of the suspect – Mohamed Ramzan Shaheed – but stopped short of issuing an arrest warrant.
He is a 48-year-old neighbour of the now-dead woman.
Meanwhile, an autopsy conducted on the body of Sumintra Sawh on Wednesday, revealed that the woman died as a result of a number of injuries inclusive of multiple stab wounds, Asphyxia, and a fractured skull among others.
There was a total of seven stab wounds.
The cause of death was given as 1) asphyxia and aspiration of blood in the airway, 2) shock and hemorrhage and a fractured skull and 3) multiple stab wounds to the head and face.
In a release issued on Wednesday, the police confirmed that the suspect in custody in relation to the discovery of a pensioner’s body on Monday morning at Bush lot, West Coast Berbice (WCB) has confessed to planning the robbery.
The release came one day after the media had published details of the woman’s confession while police officials were reluctant to confirm the information.
Police said the woman’s 37-year-old great-niece has since confessed to planning the robbery with the suspect and has given investigators the gruesome details of what transpired.
She remains in custody as efforts are being made to arrest the 48-year-old suspect, the police said.
The woman’s niece from Bushlot, West Coast Berbice, reportedly detailed to plan to rob her aunt and also identified the killer.
On Monday the body of 85-year-old Sumintra Sawh was discovered lying motionless in a pool of blood on her bed at her Bushlot, WCB home.
Basdeo, a great-niece of the now-dead woman had initially told investigators that she was in her bed when two men entered the house, one of whom tied her to a chair while the other went into her aunt’s room. She also claimed that the men searched the house before escaping with a bag belonging to her aunt containing $350,000 and documents.
This publication had reported that the great-niece told investigators that she was never tied up. In fact, she witnessed her aunt being murdered.
She said in her confession statement that the killer is a 48-year-old neighbour who would normally visit the home.
She said after asking the man to run an errand for her upon his return, they plotted to rob the pensioner and worked out a plan which would not incriminate any of them. The deal would have seen him taking the woman’s money to purchase a motorbike while Basdeo would inherit the woman’s property.
She said left the door open as planned and went to bed and after midnight the neighbour walked over. She showed him the bag which contained the money and documents and the neighbour went into the bedroom and started beating the woman with an object.
She told the investigators that she asked him to stop but he continued until the woman was motionless and seemingly unconscious.
The neighbour took the bag are ten scrambled resulting in marks on her face and also cut her hand. In her account of the incident, Basdeo told investigators that the neighbour threatened to kill her family if she ever told anyone. He then made good his escape.
Meanwhile, the police are waiting for advice from the Director of Public Prosecutions on the way forward. (G4)