Two days after an ex-policeman was executed in his car at Plaisance, East Coast Demerara police are yet to arrest his killers.
When asked whether anyone had been arrested in connection with the killing of Orlando Edwards, Commander of ‘C’ Division Leroy Brummel said yesterday that detectives were still conducting their investigations and no one had been held.
On Monday, police found a Beretta submachine gun and three magazines with 90 rounds at the home of Edwards, who was killed seconds after he had dropped off a female companion at Graham Street, Plaisance on Sunday night. At the time of his death, Edwards had in his possession a 9 mm pistol, which he was licensed to carry. He was 30 and was employed by a gold and diamond dealer.
Edwards sustained some seven shots to his head and other parts of his body.
Police in a statement on Monday said the former policeman was fatally shot by two men around 8.30 on Sunday night.
He was driving motorcar PJJ 930 and had just dropped off a female acquaintance when the gunmen drove up in another car exited and fired several shots in his direction, hitting him in his chest, the police statement said. Edwards was rushed to the Georgetown Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival. Police said ranks subsequently searched his person and recovered a 9 mm pistol with two magazines containing 25 rounds of matching ammunition, which he was licensed to carry.
His relatives said Edwards was a good man, but admitted that they hardly saw him and wasn’t aware of what he was up to save to say that he was employed by a diamond dealer.
Police detectives told this newspaper that the gunmen’s intentions were clear – they wanted to execute him.
The manner in which Edwards was executed is reminiscent of several others for last year and this year, which have gone unsolved. Police last year recorded over 136 cases of murder with some 43 of those being execution-style killings.
Crime Chief Heeralall Makhanlall last year had revealed to a gathering of private sector representatives that execution-style killings accounted for 58% of the total number of murders in 2006.
