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Over a year since my son Navin was murdered and we’re getting no feedback from police

Dear Editor,
I am the mother of Navin Serrao, who was murdered on 7th June, 2007 while driving his friend’s car on Thomas Road. Thomas Lands. It’s been over a year since my son was murdered for what reason, I don’t know. It seems like his murder case is closed because we are not getting any feedback on the investigations.

The Commissioner reported in the news that his murder might be drug-related. If the police can make these allegations they should know who to pull in for investigations or interrogation. There was an eyewitness who was in the car with him and she was unhurt. From what I know of her she was in shock and could not give a statement. Also she is a sickly person, and I feel she was threatened to keep quiet. Also, my son’s cell phone, his driver’s licence and a thick silver ring with a face was missing. We did not receive those items from the police. Only his wristwatch, his house keys, some mints and fifteen hundred dollars were returned to my daughter.

I had a feeling my son was having some problems because a few months before he was killed, he called me to ask for money to pay down on a car, but I couldn’t help him because I had a huge dental bill to pay off. I asked him if he was in trouble, but he said he was okay, but that he wanted his own car, because he was fed up of working for people. His sister was also trying to help him by putting up her house for sale and was to give him some money to buy the car, but the same time she was concluding a sale he was killed. It was such a shock to us that when his dream was to be realized he was so tragically gunned down. We can’t come to grips with our loss up to now and we are pleading with the police to please conduct proper investigations so we can get justice. I know my son was not involved in drug dealing, because he doesn’t have anything in his name and he wouldn’t be asking us for money to buy a car. The police should be intelligent enough to know this. We are all still in grief because he had a good future ahead, as I was planning to file for him and his younger brother to join me in the USA.

My life is gone with him, but I still have to live for my other kids and grands to get them out of crime-ridden Guyana. Please Mr Commissioner and Crime Chief, please do your investigation on intelligence and put these evil monsters away for shedding innocent blood. I’m asking for all innocent souls to get justice. Thanking you in anticipation and hoping for some results soon.
Yours faithfully,
Debra Serrao

Editor’s note: A copy of this letter is being sent to the Commissioner of Police for any comment he may wish to make.

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15 Responses to “Over a year since my son Navin was murdered and we’re getting no feedback from police”

Desi
on October 9th, 2008 8:51 am

Well, Madam I am sorry to hear about your loss and offer you my sympathy. The reality is that hundreds of deaths remain unsolved and nothing is being done to update the relatives. This week I noticed a memorial race was held for the two AFC members Max Periera and Marlise Archer murdered in 2006. Then the young man killed at the illegal road block Navin. What is the GPF doing about solving these crimes? Will they and others just go down as unsolved cases?

[Reply to this]
Pantha
In reply to the above comment on October 9th, 2008 9:09 am:
They are probably still working day and night on the Monica Reese murder….

[Reply to this]
Caesar
In reply to the above comment on October 10th, 2008 9:04 pm:
Or simple crimes that are still unsolved. This one is hilarious.A lady discovered a thief up her genip tree. She ran out on the road and reported the matter to a passing cop.The police,muttering curses, parked his bicycle,entered the yard and walked up to the tree, glaring upwards”Aye bye wa yu doin up deh in deh lady tree bye?Eh?Ah seh come dung hay now. ” The thief continued to eat genips,filling his pockets,and staring at the police without answering.
“Yu hear me.A taakin to yu bye.Ah seh come down fun deh expletive tree.NOW”
No answer.Getting all worked up.
“Dis expletive maan tink I playin a expletive oke.” He looked around as the lady handed him a bambo pole.” Good.Ah gun get somethin an jook you expletive up deh, see if yu doan come down from dis expletive tree.” He proceeded to poke up the tree for some minutes, shouting. “Yu en waan fuh come down.Eh.Ah gun jook yu rass. He next tried climbing the tree.”The thief wary of this on going buffonery,simply moved to the other side of the tree,jumped down over the fence in the adjoining yard and ran off giggling,”bannus yu stupid.”The police then from up the tree top,asked the woman below to make a statement at the police station.”Statement,” the woman chimed.”Me ent gat time.If yu cyan ketch the bye,why me guh go fuh mek statement.”

Desi
In reply to the above comment on October 11th, 2008 9:27 pm:
OH LAWD! Dat was a good one Caesar!! Lawd, an nearly fall out meh chair wid laff. Bhai s like if I dere pun the scene watchin all dis play out. I nearly dead wid laff.

paul narine
In reply to the above comment on October 12th, 2008 6:42 pm:
the police in guyana only are interested in solving crime that best suit their agenda-ie you will only get some form of justice if the press keeps hounding on them or you are willing to give something under the table

[Reply to this]
critik
on October 9th, 2008 9:34 am

Investigations are continuing

[Reply to this]
Balwant Persaud
on October 9th, 2008 11:25 am

You have my sympathy Madam. If the killers are friends of the police, the police would fabricate all types of excuses such as Navin is linked to drugs, we are still investigating, or they can go so far and fabricate a charge against Navin never mind he is dead.

[Reply to this]
tyronemiller
on October 9th, 2008 12:08 pm

That how easy the gpf closes a murder case by just sayin drug related mom have my sympathy on ur loss …….the gpf is incompetent in solvin crime in the whole …..mom take ur lost and pray for peace not justice cause there is no justice in guyana

[Reply to this]
RAJ OF RICHMOND HILL
on October 9th, 2008 1:15 pm

This lady and thousands of Guyanese have one thing on their minds: to get their loved ones out of CRIME-RIDDEN GUYANA.

Dealing with the crime problem has got to be the #1 priority in Guyana. The whole nation is crying out for help. The govt. is deaf.

Who is listening? Anyone?

[Reply to this]
Get Real
on October 9th, 2008 2:31 pm

Hello Mom,

I am so sorry to hear about your situation, have my sympathy on your son’s death. Guyana is the wild, wild, west now and everyone that is murdered the cops are saying that they were into drugs. I agree that if your son was doing drugs he would not be asking anyone to help him with money. I do hope that this case can and will be investigated with a fine tooth comb and you will get justice.
Send a letter to the President and see if he will assist you in this tragic situation .
Good luck in getting this case resolved.

[Reply to this]
Charriot
In reply to the above comment on October 10th, 2008 1:47 am:
Doing drugs and selling drugs are two different things. The GPF never stated that he was selling.

I’m not defending the GPF, just clearing the air.

[Reply to this]
Charriot
on October 10th, 2008 1:42 am

I mourn with you on the lost, but please do understand, that of all the members of the GPF, only about 20 personnel is assigned to the CID, and since the exsitence of this government we had hundreds of people murdered. The GPF are still working on the crimes from the last administration. SORRY !!!! your son’s file did not come up yet.

Please do not take this the wrong way.

[Reply to this]
Caesar
In reply to the above comment on October 10th, 2008 8:41 pm:
Which they should have completed in 1992. Then we would have had a peaceful and prosperous nation.

[Reply to this]
annarm
on October 14th, 2008 11:39 pm

I’m also a close relative of Navin Serrao and I honestly think that his murder was not properly investigated beginning from the night at the crime scene. The area should have been blocked from any traffic so that PROPER clues could have been gathered to assist them with the case. I was at the scene that night and the best that I saw was the car being taken out of the trench and the spent shells being recovered. I was quite disappointed. EVERY killer leaves clues behind and I do not think that the killer could have be so professional that no clue was left at the scene.

I do commend them for their effort, because we got feedback about the persons they gathered for questioning. But I strongly believe that more could be done, even one year and a half later.

We have accepted, however, that our system here in Guyana is corrupted to an extent. These cases would continue to remain unsolved because eyewitnesses or other persons having valuable information will choose to remain quiet to preserve their lives and the lives of their loved ones, especially because of the fear that some police officers may leak information to the perpetrators.

[Reply to this]
annarm
on October 14th, 2008 11:46 pm

correction: *could have been*

[Reply to this]