Family members have positively identified the bodies of wanted men Rondell `Fineman’ Rawlins and Jermaine `Skinny’ Charles and post-mortem examinations are to be performed on Monday.
Charles and Rawlins were shot dead on Thursday by joint services ranks after they were cornered in an unfinished building in Kuru Kururu on the Soesdyke-Linden Highway after being pursued from Timehri. Another man Seon Grant was also killed in the confrontation. The joint services success in cornering Rawlins came after five long years of searching. During the period on the run he is alleged to have committed horrific slaughters including this year’s three massacres that claimed 31 lives.
Rondell `Fineman’ Rawlins
Though under the spotlight, too, for multiple murders, Skinny attracted more attention after he escaped from lawful custody on June 25, following a court appearance at the Sparendaam Magistrate’s Court.
The mothers of both men have spoken on their deaths and even as both have come to accept it, they are hopeful that this indeed settles the crime situation in the country.
Rawlins’ mother, Margaret Rawlins, also lost her daughter, Marcyn King, in February this year at the hands of unknown gunmen. Rawlins said she learnt of the death of her son from a radio newscast yesterday. The woman said she recognized her son’s body right away and knew for sure that it was definitely him. She identified the body at the Georgetown Hospital Mortuary. She is hopeful that his death will bring an end to the crime situation in the country as she recounted that he had been blamed for every crime in the country.
The mother of Charles who prefers that her name not be mentioned told Stabroek News yesterday that from the time her son escaped from the Sparendaam lock-ups she prepared her mind to accept his death.
The woman told this newspaper that her sister identified her son’s body yesterday and there was no doubt that it was him. She said she was preparing for work on Thursday when she received a call relating that Seon Grant, who she had known from the East Bank area, had been killed. However a telephone call from a friend who kept questioning her about what she was doing seemed suspicious. “She ask me how I deh and I seh man I preparing for work and she say man Jermaine get kill and they didn’t want give me the message but I tell them I know they would have killed him and I accept his death,” the woman said.
The woman told this newspaper calmly that she had come to accept that her son would have never been brought in alive, and insisted that there was so much that he hid from her,
“I accept his death because I make my child but I didn’t make his mind. If I could have done more to change his attitude I would have. People know I tried to stop this from happening, but he meant that he wanted to go his own way,” she said.
The items found by the police after Rondell Rawlins and Jermaine Charles were killed. (Police photo)
The single-parent mother of four said her eldest child would have turned 23 next Thursday and never wanted to see her cry. When she visited him at the prison and tears came to her eyes he would try to end the visit immediately.
The woman said Charles never confided in her and added that strangers would come and say things to her that she never knew about her son.
“I know that people will talk and I cannot stop that but God knows that I tried my best and I never encouraged him with nonsense and nothing in my house was given to me by him, because I work hard for what I want,” she insisted.
The woman said she has not shed a single tear since learning of her son’s death and this was also the general mood of all of her relatives. However she said she could not bear to see his body and for this reason she sent her sister to identify the remains.
She had spoken with this newspaper several days after her son escaped from the lock-ups at Sparendaam and had denied that her son had ever made contact with her. She also denied police allegations that she and another of her children were involved in soliciting a firearm to aid the man’s escape.
The woman had told Stabroek News that from an early age Charles chose to follow a certain pattern of life and had left her home and lived with several friends before she started hearing of his involvement in high- profile criminal activities.
Charles has been charged along with Dwight Da Silva, Quincy Evans, Terrence John, Delwayne Carrington and a boy for a number of other murders.
He was charged along with Da Silva for the murder of Barbot Paul, the Kaneville, East Bank Demerara businessman who died outside his home on August 6. Charles was also accused of killing Devon Charles of Agricola on June 23, Guilford Henry on June 26, 2005 and 12-year-old Kevin Browne on March 18, 2006. He shared the murder charge for Browne with Dego France. Charles was also charged with Da Silva and Evans for being part of a group of men who allegedly murdered five Kaieteur News pressmen – Chetram Persaud, Eion Wegman, Richard Stewart, Mark Maikoo and Shazeem Mohamed in August 2006.
It is also alleged that they killed Wordsworth Grey on August 8. The 15-year-old boy, who was 13 years then, was also charged for that murder. Charles was then charged for the murders of Minister Satyadeow Sawh, Rajpat Sawh, Phulmattie Persaud and Curtis Robinson on April 22 at La Bonne Intention East Coast Demerara.
Rawlins was also linked to several raids on East Coast villages. But it was in February 2006 that Rawlins gained further notoriety. Police had said that he was part of the 15-member gang that brought terror to Agricola on February 26, 2006 killing eight people and attempting to blow up a gas station.
Reports at the time indicated that over a dozen gunmen under his command, reportedly dropped off in cars, blocked off a section of the road at Mc Doom and at Eccles and carried out a one-hour assault on residents of Agricola and Eccles.
Some of the men walked to Two Brothers Gas station where they launched an attack aimed at burning it down. They then unleashed a volley of shots at three MMC security guards whose vehicle was having air put into its tyres at the time. The three men, Sheldon Smartt, Cedric Dummett and Loris Semple died on the spot.
Rawlins was said to have unleashed the massacres this year after a female friend, Tenisha Morgan went missing.
bgsbny u have 2 wear the shoe 2 know where it hurts.
They r those mothers who try their best and the child make up his or her mind
and all the prayer and fasting by the mother and the church did not help.
BRING BACK THE NATIONL SERVICE, PROVIDE RECREATIONAL FACILITIES
What about funeral arrangements? would the bodies be release to the family, I hope
What about funeral arrangement? would the bodied be release to the family members. I hope they have a quiet funeral and not a grand send off as the “so call free-dom fighter”.
…… do not resign urself to accept failure ,, with the right counseling,, all minds can be reprogrammed ,, education ,, education ,, education ,, no mind is so corrupt that it can not be rehabilitated ,, after any parent have tried and failed ,, ask for HELP ! b4 it is too late ! ……. the govt’ agency of social services ,, should have now if it never was ,, qualified counselors ,, to avoid this ,, in future,, that is why it is all imperative to weaken the gadfadah ! and take him out like they did to
the thing called “fineman”,, tho ,, i think that fineman was marked for death ,, which is why the pnc is calling for report on torture,,, for fear that if any of the remaining brutes ,, r taken alive ,, they may talk and then all hell will break loose ! and they will then claim torture ,, made them talk !,, any one who is delusional to think that these miguided men was acting on their own then ,, somehow is living west of the moon !……
Who are behind these men [Fine-man, Skinny, Blackie, etc.] WHO ARE THE REAL CRIMINALS HERE?
Let us discuss the proximity, possibility, logicality, and the complexity of this matter.
Why is it each time the police are always point their fingers at these who have said to be CRIMINALS?
I think something is definitely wrong. I believe someone is hiding something, and wanting to cover up for each other. Ignorance
I am fed-up with the government killing every so-called bad man and then saying they are WANTED without trying them.
Why is the judicial system so stinks? Why can’t these men go through prosecutions, have lawyers, and a hearing? Why are they putting them down so senselessly?
The bartica, and lusignan killing is no kidding, that is a real tragedy. How can justice be done, when the government and its regimes are wiping out all trace of evidence and hints to the truth?
Let the public be involved. We want to hear and know the truth.
Now it has been said that Rawlins and Charles are dead. I don’t believe Guyana’s police report. They are too wicked.
Look at all the crimes, each time they arrest someone who they bump off, they are pining the crimes on innocent people.
All the police are doing–kill and kill then the public is celebrating. What is there to celebrate?
I want publicity in these privatizing acts within Guyana’s police force.
I was told that one of the five escapees was about to hand a tape over to the Americans at the American Embassy in Guyana when the police’s ranks riddle him and took the tape.
God is not sleeping, this is frustrating, I am tired of reading hearsay from these unworthy officers.
The two men are now dead, let’s see how good Guyana will get. The crimes were not just committed by these men, others need to be exposed too.
There are a lot of things they would not admit too. There are a lot of things they are covering up. AND there are a lot of things, that are yet to unfold.
This is the first sensible comment on this matter. These guys are alleged to have commited at least three major massacres and the policy seem to be to kill everyone without trying to find out the reasons for the crimes. Crime fighting and prevention require information and patterns which create crime. That means you must bring in some criminals alive and get them to talk. Law enforcement must also be able to cut them some slack so that they can be witnesses to bring in the big bosses.
Who benefited from the murder of the Minister of Agri., Ronald Waddle, etc.? With all these men dead we will never know. Like Backie, did these men die in surrender of did they fight to the death? It is sad. Crime fighting in Guyana is still taking the easy way out. It is obvious that there are hit men in Guyana. Who are they hitting for? The present approach is the foolhardy way, thus there will always be a multitude of unsolved crimes and swarm of criminals to kill.
Like I’ve said many, many times before, the bodies of these monsters should be disposed of by the state; never returned to their families. These men murdered innocent babies in their sleep. They terrorized an entire nation and took away the lives of their many helpless victims. These men were responsible for the killing of a great number of people.
-A Government Minister & his family
-GDF soldiers
-Kaieteur News Pressmen
-Lusignan Massacre
-Bartica Massacre
-Agricola killings
-The 12 year old boy killed in McDoom
-The 4 GUYSUCO workers who went missing aback Buxton
-The young man whose body was discovered aback Buxton
The government needs to do the right thing by the state now.
remember these are all alleged
These are all alleged to have been done by Fineman and co
Well said Ink09
Shocked am I at the callous congratulations spewed on this subject.
How could sensible reasonable people be so cold hearted as to offer
congratulations on the shooting to death of villains on the run?
Come on ! Open your hearts and senses. This is no time for congratulations.
This is time to review the courses of actions and make a determination as to
whether these villains were mercilessly executed or were really killed in battle
Were you guys around when “BLACKIE” was coaxed to surrender only to
be cruelly bullet-ridden as he came out with hands up?
How do you know that no such similar event occured in the pesent case?
These guys were cornered in a vacant house. Now think…think…think..
They are outnumbered; Why not cordon off the area in professional style,
then move in with requests to surrender and finally wait them out if they
would not surrender.
Think…think… think…folks and hold back your gleeful congratulations on
what could easily be deemed executions.
Make no mistake folks, I did look forward to an eventual capture and an eventual
end of this reign of terror, but not the way it apparently ended and without
clear details from the persons in the front line.
Sorry …..no congratulations from me.
You are asking too much from local law enforcement. Yes, congratulations are in order for those who were involved in taking down those criminals.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
I agree with you in all angles’ decan…
That is my very thought too.
I am thinking, but nothing adds up.
Something is WRONG with the way these men were killed.
No proper information, elaboration, report, or scenery. All we know is that they shot them to death, and high five each other with laughter.
Come on, what’s with that?
NOTHING PROFESSIONAL OR LEGAL transpires there.
No congratulations from me as well, I am sick to my stomach with the actions of these police officers.
I am in total agreement with you.
What kinda stupid story you talking about; “blackie was coaxed to surrender…’? Dude, blackie never surrendered. He was killed after shooting at the police and throwing grenades at them all night long, they had to light the building afire in order to get him out. Because it was a concrete structure, it did not burn and it was only the roof which caught the flames.
I must admit though, I just love the way you guys make criminals into heroes. These guys murdered innocent people and you guys are making it sound like they are the victims. Some people are truly unbelievable.
I have seen the pictures of fineman body
and the man had one shot to head and nowhere else.after the first reports I expected to see a body riddled with bullets.Not one with one shot to the head.
Clearly executed.A very bad criminal is dead, but you got to worry about this dead squad guyana is running.This is how it starts.
Fienman and Skinny deserved what they got . It should have been sooner than later .Thanks to the “tip off ” and the Joint services –kudos to them .
CHOCOLATE, is wha wrang wid u? was not skinny in he cell waiting for he day in court? the next ting u gon seh is that dem police push he tru floor and drive he fo meet fineman just suh that dem police can shoot dem and fuh mek it look good dem police plant the ak 47 pon dem! u know if u keep talking like dat me gon start believing it meself because as u know one fool makes many.
first I would like to know why you people dont write english the way we were been toght we are gust like those ones that arive 160 plus years after our fourth parents you all know what I am talking about
well may their soul rest in peace…….God will judge them on the day of judgement.
That $50 million dollar reward should be split up and given to members of the joint service as a Christmas bonus. They did something right this time and deserve the credit.
The cash belong to the “TIPPERS” that is the joint service
job they are been paid by tax payers to deal with crime.
Get real and put on your thinking cap ink09.
U kidding or what,? the JS were informed, remember,? the monies should be given to the one who tipped off the JS and if it was the pregnant one, she should not get one cent, because she also knew that fineman and skinny were being helped by her unborn child father, remember they were all living together,? the JS’s are being paid to serve and protect, not accepting the squeal money,some bloggers never take time to properly read, give me a break, so every time the JS captures or kills a wanted person, they should be given money,? aren’t the tax payers not doing enough. This money should be shared between all those families that have lost because of these nasty, don’t care a dam criminals, that’s my opinion.
Well done! Well done! Well done! … I’ve been in Guyana a few months ago and felt that fear that everyone had. I know how relieved the people of Guyana are right now.
The elimination of Fine Man and Skinny by the Joint Services Forces is equivalent to the Police picking up two drug pushers on a block where there are a hundred more doing the same thing , and one thousand waiting to replace them should the opportunity arise. The President is leading us to believe that the crime situatiuon is now under control as his statement on this issue trumpets. He is either very naive or blind to the root causes of the crime wave which has inundated Guyana in the last six years. Of course there is a compelling reason to explain his seeming lack of understanding. If he were to address these root causes it would illustrate the failure of his administration to seriously and effectively address the ethnic insecurity issue faced by ALL Guyanese. Not all of the disenfranchised will sit passively and soak it up as some of us are wont to do. As long as the Jagdeo administration persists with their disenfranchisement of Guyanese they regard as not being of their ilk, our society will continue to produce the likes of Fine man and Skinny into the foreseable future. May God have mercy on their souls, instill peace in the hearts of their relatives, and rid us of those who helped to spawn them in the first place!