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Dead gunman identified as ‘Mud-Up’

‘I didn’t make his mind’, his mother says

The gunman killed in a shootout with members of the security forces at Christmas Falls, Upper Berbice River has been identified as a 21-year-old Buxtonian who had left his mother’s home some two years ago and never returned.

Otis Fifee called ‘Mud-Up” of 154, Friendship, East Coast Demerara was cornered and killed by the lawmen Friday evening. His mother, Wendy Fifee, said yesterday that she had made him, but not his mind.

Speaking to reporters yesterday morning, Guyana Defence Force Chief-of-Staff, Commodore Gary Best, said the joint services had a wide area of coverage and planned to scan Orealla and Siparuta in the upper reaches of the Corentyne River. Best said the operation, in addition to tracking down the criminals, also involved sealing off exit routes. “We are blocking all areas and preventing them from returning to Linden or going to Suriname,” Best asserted.

Stabroek News was told that ever since the Lusignan slaughter, the gunmen operating out of Buxton had moved to Linden from where they launched the attack on Bartica. Following that incident they returned to Linden and had been there up to recently before the security forces moved in on them forcing them to flee to Christmas Falls.

Meanwhile, Wendy Fifee said her son, who had been named in a police wanted bulletin back in February, had moved out from her home two years ago. She said she did not know where he went nor what he was involved in. “You does make children, but not their mind,” Fifee, remarked tearfully.

Buxtonians said the young man had never left the village and was involved in criminal activities with the Buxton/Agricola criminal gang. “He was a known bandit and everybody knows about him and he was always there,” an elderly woman told Stabroek News yesterday. Wendy Fifee said she recognised her son yesterday morning after seeing the Kaieteur News, which had published his corpse on its front page. “I know it was he, even though he went away so long I recognised my son,” the woman said.

Denying knowing about her son’s escapades, Fifee said once he left her home she was not in touch with him and did not know what he was up to. “I don’t know what he been doing. You does hear a lot of things but I ain’t know,” she said.

Villagers said the young man grew up poor and was led astray by friends and only recently he graduated into a full-fledged member of the criminal gang. Buxton has turned out a number of the country’s armed criminals and village leaders in the past had blamed this on the lack of opportunities in the community.

A top security official had told this newspaper on Sunday that Rawlins’ criminal infrastructure was crumbling and he expressed optimism that the fugitive and his troops, currently ensconced deep in the jungle, would be captured. However, up to press time last night there was still no further sighting of the men around six of whom had eluded capture Friday evening.

The joint services said they were combing the area by air, land and water. They said too that all exit routes have been closed and air surveillance by the recently acquired Bell 206 helicopters was being conducted along the Corentyne River and other areas.

Responding to intelligence, the lawmen went into the Christmas Falls area some 300 miles up the Berbice River on Friday, where they came under fire.

They responded and killed Fifee, but the rest of the gang managed to escape leaving behind a cache of arms and ammunition, some of which has been confirmed by police as having been stolen from the Bartica Police station, the night that community came under siege by gunmen.

Weapons belonging to Bartica miner Chunilall Baboolall whose business place was attacked and robbed during that incident were also recovered.

The joint services had posited that they were certain that `Fineman’ and several of his senior lieutenants were among those who escaped. In a press release on Saturday the security forces said Rawlins and his men were hiding out in a desolate jungle location in the Christmas Falls, Upper Berbice River area. In addition to recovering the weapons, the lawmen unearthed a diary, which provided incontrovertible evidence of Rawlins’ planning and executing of the slaughters at Lusignan and Bartica, taking vengeance for the death of his sister and a number of telephone numbers. Three FN rifles, four shotguns, one .32 revolver, two AK-47 magazines, seven FN rifle magazines, along with 1,159 rounds of 7.62 x 39 ammunition, 143 rounds of 7.62 x 51 ammunition, 10 rounds .38 ammunition, one round of .32 ammunition and 36 12-gauge cartridges were recovered in the desolate jungle area where the men were hiding out.

The press release said the men were housed in a location with four buildings. They had foodstuff to last several weeks in a large kitchen, which also had a gas stove, generator and solar energy. In addition, there were six portable tents, four hammocks, three mattresses, a mini-stereo system, a DVD player, a cell phone, a hand-held radio set, items of clothing, medical supplies and a Bible, which were all abandoned as the gang fled.

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23 Responses to “Dead gunman identified as ‘Mud-Up’”

popeoplefedup
on June 10th, 2008 5:56 am

It is always so easy to blame the system for the manufacture of criminals, yet the same depressed communities always manage to produce sterling individuals such as Eusi Kwayana.

It makes sense why the murderer became the monster that he did, listening to the comments of the mother.

Sure we do not make their minds, but it is our responsibility to nurture, tough times or not.

Son leaving house at 19 and not knowing what transpired after that? Which responsible parent allows that? And even if the child is rebellious, do telltale signs arise when they prepare to exit the house?

[Reply to this]
clema
on June 10th, 2008 6:23 am

Well we all know now that the reason they attack police station is because they cant get their ammunition any where else in such large quantity so now then enforcement officers have to be very very careful not for them to get away at any point in time from where they are cornered otherwise you know they will attack the police stations again because we know 4 sure they dont have much ammunition neither guns left again with them since they have left so many behind the chase so once again the destiny and the safety of the citizens of guyana is in the hand of the law

[Reply to this]
amen-ra
on June 10th, 2008 6:53 am

These guys were living large, but i’m trying to figure out if i was a bandit what would i want with bed and stereo system, and solar power and gas stove and all the finery of civilization. Why would i want all these thing to attract attention? that’s the million dollar question i like to ask.

[Reply to this]
mackydog
on June 10th, 2008 8:21 am

One down, the others soon to go. Our tax dollars are well at work with the Bell helicopters scouring the jungle. It’s just a matter of time before the others are reined in - hopefully dead but preferable alive so it can be proven the other political party have dirt and is responsible for the massacres. Do these guys really believe they can escape the heat sensing scanners on the choppers? Let’s see.
I think the police is divulging too much information about the sequence of their operations to the public somewhat telegraphing to the terrorist what is being done. The police can inform the public in other ways without a chance of compromising their efforts and operations. Remember these cowards have “comrades” on the outside informing and supplying them with their needs. We have to catch them.

[Reply to this]
raulcedras
on June 10th, 2008 9:00 am

HMMMMM!! I want to know 2.

[Reply to this]
pepie
on June 10th, 2008 9:08 am

Good Job Joint Service. lil lil duhti does build dam. Please remember after the harden criminals….then drug runners….then the fuel smugglers….then tax evaders…then corrupt government officials. We need a clean, safe and law abiding Guyana.
Please keep them away from Linden. Please.

[Reply to this]
Raj
In reply to the above comment on June 10th, 2008 9:50 am:
Agree!

[Reply to this]
rdman
on June 10th, 2008 9:41 am

Eventually as time passes the gang would become lax,and would want some type of comfort and entertainment,sometimes infighting among themselves for unequal share of booty, neglect in cleaning their weapons,which oftens jams and cellphones are a definite no no,as long as you transmit wirelessly that’s a dead giveaway, your location can be pinpointed by satellite.The F.A.R.C, Colombia’s largest,richest and longest rebel groups learned their lessons about transmitting wirelessly.The Americans can listen to a cellphone conversation on the planet of Mars.Thats why Osama bin laden stop using his satellite phone.

[Reply to this]
Aeneas
on June 10th, 2008 9:47 am

Good work Mr. Police officers!! Keep up pressure!

The sinicism by some Guyanese is down right sad but not surprising, they would prefer to give the benefit of any doubt to criminals, over an undermanned police force. These are the same people who are quick chastised the police for not living up their commitments.

Further, there are some communities that harbor and protect criminals and this is main reason why the criminals are able to elude the police and live the “good life”. Hopefully, the phone and the other documents found would shed some lights as to who the enablers are.

[Reply to this]
bluegrass
on June 10th, 2008 10:22 am

cannot see some names here, who always chastise the gog. is this one hurting them that bad.

[Reply to this]
GT_BANA
on June 10th, 2008 11:21 am

I wonder how big this jungle is? It’s been almost 48 hrs since the chase was on for the criminals. If these guys are not captured or killed, FAILURE and INCOMPETENT are some of the words I will use to associate with the Security Force. I am going to say it again, there is no way these criminals can escape since all exits have been closed and they are being hunted by air, sea and land….

[Reply to this]
june
on June 10th, 2008 11:36 am

Good job
I bet it took alot to stick your necks out like that, i think the main aim here is to keep them under control and not the other way around.

[Reply to this]
popeoplefedup
on June 10th, 2008 11:56 am

Seems as if the cynics are plotting censures elsewhere.

I figure with this blog, they shall come out with subjectively flawed arguments and sensationalist theories.

I am not a supporter of the PPP or PNC or any other political party, but I say, slay the beasts and commendations to our armed forces.

[Reply to this]
motherofmine
In reply to the above comment on June 10th, 2008 4:53 pm:
look, this is another roger khan gone way out of control, with fifty million dollars out there how come one of his own men did not turn against him, this is a lot money we are talking about

[Reply to this]
guy2008
on June 10th, 2008 1:24 pm

well the talk always say ,how you mek your bed you lie on it. if u can’t hear the car horn then u feel the bumper , every day bucket go ah well one day he bottom a ga left. nice job joint services! hope they get the rest soon

[Reply to this]
Debbie
on June 10th, 2008 2:44 pm

Excellent work by the Joint Services! We need more good news like this, I hope to see a follow up very soon with fineman’s capture.
It’s our role as parents to love, care, feed, house and educate our children. The mother of Otis claims she did not know of his involment with the gang. At 17, he should have been in school recieving the free education the Government of Guyana offers. Instead, his lackadaisical parents allowed him freedom to make choices that ensured his untimely and violent death.
It’s easy to blame others for our own failures as decent human beings.

[Reply to this]
Michael101
on June 10th, 2008 3:21 pm

I think that the rest will be eaten by the animals in the forest if they get lost. A next thing is that they could die of starvation if they are lost and don’t find a camp.

[Reply to this]
motherofmine
In reply to the above comment on June 10th, 2008 4:55 pm:
dont bet on this, this group will survive and will go out in a blaze, we are not hearing the whole truth about this group

[Reply to this]
No Patriot
on June 10th, 2008 4:14 pm

The media report only gave an account of the weapons which were stolen from Bartica right? Where are the weapons which were used in Lusignan and in the Bartica slayings??? While we might prefer them dead, one or two must be caught alive and made to talk.

[Reply to this]
motherofmine
In reply to the above comment on June 10th, 2008 4:57 pm:
this confirms that the whole story we are being told is disjointed, the picture is bigger that this

[Reply to this]
bvbocan
In reply to the above comment on June 10th, 2008 5:52 pm:
In light of the incompetence demonstrated by the Guyana Police, why would anyone want a suspect dead instead of apprehended?

I put it to you that the likelihood of them fingering the wrong person is far too high for them to be praised when the suspect is murdered before being allowed go before the courts.

[Reply to this]
raulcedras
In reply to the above comment on June 11th, 2008 10:46 am:
This cannot be said any better. CAPTURE THE BAD GUYS & IT WILL POINT LAW ENFORCEMENT IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. DO NOT KILL THEM. No, big dogs in society will be exposed.

SOESDYKE
In reply to the above comment on June 10th, 2008 7:49 pm:
Do not blame the mother, some people are just evil.

[Reply to this]