Woman slain by gunman
A stop on the Agricola public road to fix a problem yesterday morning turned tragic when a gunman fatally shot a 27-year-old woman after she refused to hand over a bag containing more than $100,000.
Melissa Payne
Dead is Melissa Payne of Lot 56 Den Amstel, West Coast Demerara who sustained a single gunshot wound under her right armpit. Her reputed husband John Fraser also known as David Fraser escaped unhurt but collapsed on hearing of Payne’s death and had to be hospitalised.
The couple was proceeding to Georgetown when they were forced to stop shortly after 8 am when the canter they were in encountered a mechanical problem.
Within minutes and while Fraser, a contractor, was attempting to fix the problem, gunmen who were standing in an old shop across the road came over and menaced them.
One approached Fraser, another went to the woman and the third acted as a lookout. Fraser managed to run into oncoming traffic but Payne was unlucky as a gun had already been pressed against her side and she was commanded to hand over the handbag she was clutching.
From all accounts, the woman attempted to escape and was shot in the process while the men fled through a nearby alleyway with the bag and two gold chains she was wearing at the time.
According to information reaching this newspaper, Fraser had recounted that he was attempting to fix his vehicle when a “big man” with a handkerchief over his nose came up and pressed a gun to his head.
While running away he instructed Payne who was standing a short distance away to hand over the bag and run. However one of the bandits was standing next to the woman and he grabbed her. It was while she was trying to slip away from the bandit that she was shot. Fraser recounted too that he ran up the road and the gunmen shot at him and then ran into a shop across the road.
Eyewitness accounts of what transpired were slightly different. On a visit to the scene, things were calm and the canter truck had already been removed by the police.
This newspaper noticed two van loads of heavily armed policemen coming out of the road leading to the back of the village. A man was in the tray of one of the vehicles. This newspaper could not ascertain if the man was a suspect in the incident but according to reports the three men are known criminals who would attack unsuspecting villagers late at night. They would hide out in an old shop at the entrance of the street and would pounce on persons as they passed, robbing them of valuables and in some cases carrying out sexual assaults. Two of the youths are living in the Agricola while the third is from a community farther up the East Bank but spends lots of time in the village.
“Them man
been watching”
Residents recalled that the canter stopped on the public road between two shops and one of the front seats was pushed forwards in order for Fraser to fix a problem.
Stabroek News was told that the woman was standing a few feet away clutching a bag that was around her shoulder and she was acting uneasy. Residents said that from the way she was behaving the three thieves who were watching on from the shop across the road may have suspected that she had valuables in the bag and in addition she was wearing gold bangles and chains.
Persons recalled seeing the men walking across to the canter, two walked towards the couple while the other took up a position a short distance away.
When one approached Fraser, he immediately ran into the early morning heavy traffic and the woman attempted to run down a nearby alleyway. However she only managed to flee a few feet when a gun was pressed against her side. Reports are that the woman attempted to run but was shot after which the gunman snatched the bag and two gold chains she had on and ran into the village, jumping fences in the process.
Stabroek News was told that none of the men was wearing a mask during the attack.
Following the shooting there was a traffic build-up on the East Bank highway and public-spirited citizens placed the motionless woman in the back of a car which took her to the hospital. There she was pronounced dead on arrival.
The woman’s mother Debora Payne and an aunt were inconsolable when they turned up at the hospital. Debora fainted minutes after she had seen the body of her eldest daughter at the Georgetown Hospital morgue.
Amidst wails the woman said “Who ever did this, they will pay for this. Father God give me strength. Ow Meli, Ow Mel”.
The woman said that she last spoke with Payne on Tuesday about some money she had given to her to bank. Her daughter had promised that she would continue that conversation the following day (yesterday) at home.
Debora recalled that she received a telephone call informing her that her daughter was admitted to the Georgetown Hospital and that she should come immediately. Payne was described by her mother as a kind, loving person.
No faith in police
In light of the rising incidence of gun-related and petty crimes in the East Bank Demerara community residents said that they have lost their confidence in the police as they do not come when there are reports. Instead they would converge on the community when there are “major’ incidents.
According to residents many crimes occur in the village but they do not report them especially since they are being committed by persons who can be easily identified and are around them regularly.
They said that when the wayward youths commit crimes on the public road they flee though alleyways and disappear.
In yesterday morning’s incident police who just happened to be in the area arrived shortly after the incident, but there were no reports reaching Stabroek News of any attempt to track the three men.
One woman said that she had been a victim several times but it makes no sense to report them to the police.
In a release on the incident, police said a warhead was recovered at the scene.
Mr.PRESISENT.MR> HOME AFFAIRS MINISTER, I AM PLEADING WITH YOU. PLEASE BRING BACK CAPITOL PUNISHMENT.LET THE TRIALS OF THESE BANDITS BE QUICK, ALL OF THE APPEALS PROCESS DONE, AND EXECUTION IN 6 MONTHS.THIS WILL SEND A MESSAGE TO CRIMINALS WHEN THEY REALISED THAT JOHN DOE ,HIS FRIEND WAS EXECUTED THAT FAST.THE JUDGES AND THE MAGISTRATES ARE TOO LENIENT.LETS HAVE A FEW EXECUTIONS IN DECEMBER THIS YEAR OF THOSE CONVICTS AWAITING EXECUTION.PLEASE.PLEASE PLEASE LETS GET GOING. i AM WILLING TO BE THE EXECUTIONER.
Man! U no how lang I want dat wuk? U no how lang? I would rven provide mi own gallows!!
Here we go again another death for a few dollars. My sympathy goes out to the
Payne’s family. Jagdeo what are you doing as a president, I ovserve nothing much. The people in Guyana needs the protection of the GPF and the GDF so what are you waiting on ? When are you going to perform the duties that you took an Oath for, well I guess you will do so at the end of your term, instead of doing it now, its now or never. The crime rate in Guyana is terrible and nothing is being done about the safety of the citizens. Some bloggers are going to say that more crimes happen here of which I am aware but the police are a phone call away and in a few minutes two or three police vehicles are at the location. We need an Obama in Guyana so that the country would grow, better healthcare, housing, etc because jadgeo is not doing anything.
what better heath care u have there and everyday i see people on TV talking about they have not health care and no money to pay. so what u talking about?
what nonsense you talking buddy.
I think he ran because he freaked out. It’s not everyday that you have a gun pressed up against your head, remember that.
These are no longer the days of money or life, it’s now money & life, so my advice to victims is hand over your stuff and try to preserve your live. Material possessions can always be replaced, but not your life.
….it’s quite within the realm of reasoning that u should exercise the right to axe my
intermperate out burst ,, but ,, i’m sure ,, u understand how livid i was from my post !!,,,,,,,
is it not ,, enough now ,,, that anyone should become incensed at the wanton killing of just abt anyone !,,,
rohee must go !,,,,,,,
agreed, second the motion.
This is the result of hopelessness and ignorance. A blank mind, is fruitful ground for crime and intolerance. The day of the HAVES and the HAVE NOTS, hasarrived, sad to say. Those who fail to prepare, are prepared for failure. This is the tip of the iceberg. The seeds of this criminal mentality were sowed a long time ago. The chickens have come home to roost in Guyana’s front yard. Sad for the loss of this life. Guyanese should demand a revamping of the police force. International help, not training, boots on the ground, is imperative.
what is really going on in guyana.everyday u read the stabroek news ,some one get shot and kill by bandit .why is it our brothers are killing our sisters like that .oh god please help our beautful country that call guyana.
First of all my sympathy goes to the payne family ……now can someone tall me what these guys in uniform gettin paid for ……2 mini buses robb at the road head of agricola now a murder what next a police vehicle shot up at the same road head b4 the can do something drastic…….come on Mr Greene u have no plans for these criminals there are sitting at the road head waitin to prounce on their pray while ur guys are sitting in office waiting for something to happen then appear an hr after ………in New York here where I live u don’t take a cop from Brooklyn to go after criminals cus they will be known to criminals ……..MrGreene take this from me bring some of ur cops from Berbice to Georgetown make them known to the criminals nest and work them undercover ……they can come as a garbage collector ….a Gpl worker ….A meter reader …..but must always strap to the feet ….u cannot get co_operation from the public if u r not tryin to protect them do the necessary professionaly and u will see the help u will get
My deepest condolenses goes out to the family of yet again another senseless killing. Hmmmm…a couple of things reported in this news article that bothers me alot. If these men are known to be hanging out at this particular intersection harassing innocent victims – how come the shop is not dismantled and these men not put away for a long long time. Why are they allowed to roam the streets freely. This other point sends my blood pressure through the roof! Villagers, PLEASE report ALL CRIMES committed in the village. If these crimes were being reported maybe, just maybe, this young lady would be alive today. We need more “cops” patrolling these high traffic crime areas on a more frequent bases
what i dont understand is, if ppl see unsuspicious activities going on, why dont they inform the GPF? sad only now thw villagers coming forward about the bandits behaviors…
NO INE IS SAFE ANYWHERE ANYMORE AS FAR AS I AM CONCERN, NOT IN UR OWN HOME, NOT ON THE STREETS, NOT IN JAIL, NOT IN HOSPITALS NO WHERE…..
JUST HAVE TO PROTECT URSELF WITH UNLICENSE GUN…. WHEN U KILL DEM RASS TELL DE POLICE IS DEM PARTNER KILL DEM IN THE PROCESS. CASE CLOSE!!!
the people in communities where criminals rob and kill should speak out.maybe the rest of guyana should enforce sanctions against these villages.no more deliveries,no more bus service to the villages and no bus stopping in the vicinity.maybe then,when life is made harder for them they will step up an reclaim thier community.
Why don’t you go and live in one of those communities,and speak out…see how long you will last….some of you have a very short memory,you forget what has happened to so many in both Buxton and Agricola,just for talking…so you should put up or shut up!!!