Suspect-brother eludes cops

An autopsy of the remains of Troy James, the Guyanese man who was gunned down in French Guiana two weeks ago, will be conducted next Tuesday, while the French police continue to search for his older brother who they suspect inflicted the fatal injuries.

A Stabroek News source in the French territory received confirmation from a member of the Central Gendarmerie who wanted to remain unnamed, that they are looking for the brother who used to live with James before the incident occurred. From all appearances the French police already have the name of their suspect and according to earlier reports both brothers were known to the police in that country. They also had several run-ins with the law while living in Guyana.

Troy James

The source told Stabroek News that the brothers were living in an “illegal [squatting] house” close to the soccer field, where James’s body was found.
The body is lying at the Central Hospital of Cayenne.

Last week, the French police said they are almost certain that James was killed by an older brother. James had been convicted on crack cocaine charges and spent ten months in jail before being sent back to Guyana in 2006.

The circumstances of the shooting are still unclear but this newspaper has been told that the two brothers had a falling out that sparked the fatal shooting. Both brothers were residing in French Guiana illegally.

It is believed that the suspect returned to Guyana though Suriname shortly after the incident and according to reports was recently spotted here.

Press officer Lieutenant-Colonel Laperle from the Central Gendarmerie told Stabroek News’ source that James was killed around 7 pm (6 pm local time) in Remire-Montjoly, a town in the suburb of Cayenne. James sustained three bullets wounds to the chest at close range and four bullet shells were found close to the body. The officer added that the killing took place less than ten metres from a soccer field, where young players of a local team-–USL Montjoly–-were training. The coach, former international French goalkeeper Bernard Lama, was leading the training sessions and he was the one who contacted the police. According to the officer, most of the players did not hear the gunshots.

The policeman further said that James had been arrested for crack dealing in 2005 and later convicted in court. He spent ten months in jail in French Guiana after which he was given a paper in 2006 ordering that he leave the country immediately. He left the country but returned in April this year, the officer added. Stabroek News was told that James had been working in French Guiana for the past few years and would return home periodically. His mother, James’ mother, Rose Ann Garraway, called ‘Rosie,’ said she warned him repeatedly about going to the country. The man’s relatives had said that they were clueless as to what might have sparked the tragedy. They said that they wanted to travel to French Guiana to retrieve the body for burial here but it is unclear whether they were successful in securing visas to travel.