By Cathy Richards
The battered body of the 65-year-old security guard at the Supervisors’ Club at 296 Determa Street, Linden, was discovered in a pool of blood in the building at approximately 8 am yesterday by the club’s treasurer.
John Evans of 298 Silverballi Street, Mackenzie, Linden who was a regular visitor to the club was given the job as the security guard just a few weeks ago.
Club treasurer Lionel Pitt found Evans’ body when he went to the premises to uplift his cycle, said president of the club Robert Langevine.
In addition, some $20,000 from the night’s sales was also reported missing but there were no signs of forced entry into the building.
Langevine said that upon Pitt’s arrival at the building he was surprised to see the lights in the building still on and the main entrance door ajar.
“He said that as soon as he pushed the door he saw John lying in a pool of blood dead,” reported Langevine.
A quick search of the premises was done and the only thing that was discovered missing was approximately $20,000 which was accumulated from sales the previous night.
Although the club is undergoing extensive repairs members would clean up after the workers leave in order to carry on their usual recreational activities.
When Stabroek News arrived at the scene shortly after 10 am two police ranks had just gotten there. Evans was seen lying face down on some zinc sheets in a pool of blood and while neither of his hands was visible a gaping wound stretched across the back of his head. When the body was turned over the security guard’s face appeared disfigured.
A piece of wood which had several nails spiked into it was seen next to the body.
Langevine said he was not at the club on Wednesday night but was told that the treasurer had left sometime around 11:00pm and a few others remained playing games.
Some persons have expressed the view that whoever had attacked Evans might have hidden in the building and pounced after everyone else had left.
“The man don’t ever open up for nobody when he close for the night. Many time he said that he does hear knocking on deh door and does be frighten.
About two weeks ago somebody tried to break in he house which is in deh next yard,” said a neighbour.
Meanwhile, overseas-based Guyanese Claude Joseph who is Evans’ landlord said that the man had served as the caretaker of his incomplete buildings two lots away from the supervisors’ club.
“For the past two weeks he was really uncomfortable. He told me he was very afraid and want me to permit him to remove a scaffold that was close to the building,” said Joseph.
“He keep telling me that he wanted to leave the job (at the club) because he was scared. What brought about the fear I really can’t say but he was terrified and very uneasy,” the man added.
Joseph said that Evans was a family friend of his but he did not know any of his family members in Guyana. However, he had contact with his relatives in the USA.
Stabroek News was reliably informed that Evans’ meals were taken care of by one of his neighbours through whom his family communicated with him. The neighbour said that he collected his last meal on Wednesday afternoon and was in a very cheerful mood. “He was a very peaceful man and never troubled with anyone or things like that,” related the neighbour.
Several neighbours said that between 1:30 am and 2:00 am they heard loud screaming coming from the direction of the club. According to a woman who lived close to the building she had just concluded some household chores and was about to retire for the night when she was alerted to the loud screams.
“I peep outside but I didn’t see anything looking suspicious but I keep hearing dis loud screaming. At one time I told myself that the sound was coming from the nightclub further down the street.”
The woman said that she became very confused after the screams started to sound like someone was crying breathlessly. “I was really confused cause one time it sound like this wailing cry then it started sounding like a kinda laughing.” The neighbour said that she didn’t know why she didn’t think about calling the police at the time. “I even thought of going outside but then when I think it over I decided to stay inside because these days is lots of gunplay taking place.”
Another neighbour said that she too heard the screams but didn’t even bother to investigate since she felt that it was a street fight.
Several persons who gathered at the scene expressed their frustration at the tardy response by the police. They said that several calls were made to the police just about 8:00 am but they arrived two hours later.
Stabroek News understands that it took a call by the E & F commander who is stationed in Georgetown to get the ranks rushing to the scene although the Mackenzie Police Station is less than five minutes walking distance away.
The man’s body was removed from the scene just before 1 pm and taken to the Mackenzie Hospital Com-plex.
