A 68-year-old businessman was found dead in his Parika, East Bank Essequibo home yesterday morning and it is believed that he had been strangled.
Dead is Brandis Roberts of Parika Highway. The dead man, who owned a gas station, was found with his hands tied behind his back and a pair of pants tied around his face, covering his mouth, police said. Jewellery that Roberts was wearing at the time, his cellular phone and keys were intact, relatives said.
Police, in a statement said that they were investigating the suspected murder of Roberts, whose body was discovered at his home at about 7.30 yesterday morning. The dead man’s nephew, Carl Prowell told Stabroek News that his uncle was killed some time between 6.30pm on Saturday and 7am yesterday. He stated that Roberts was last seen when he left the gas station for home at about 6.30pm on Saturday. He had a bag with the day’s sales and this was missing, Prowell said, though jewellery that the man was wearing, his cellular phone and keys were untouched.
Prowell said that his uncle usually left the gas station with the money.
Roberts’ body was discovered by his brother, Winsley, who went to check on him after he did not turn up at the gas station and calls to his cellular phone went unanswered. The building was unlocked and the body was lying on floor of the kitchen, located in the bottom flat of the two-storey building, Prowell said. He declared that his uncle had a gun, but they had not located it and it is uncertain if the bandits had taken it.
After the discovery, the police were alerted and the body was taken to the mortuary. The home, where Roberts lived alone, was sealed by the police yesterday.
Roberts and Winsley had operated the gas station, located not far from his home for over 20 years. It is not that first time that Roberts was robbed, Prowell related. He stated that earlier this year, bandits had robbed his uncle of $2.5M but nothing had ever come of the matter. “This action tek he life,” he said. Neighbours did not recall hearing anything and several persons were questioned as police investigated the matter.
The gas station was closed yesterday and persons in the area expressed shock at Roberts’s death. He leaves to mourn his brother, a daughter and other relatives. A post-mortem examination is expected to be conducted today.
