Mother of cop murdered at Springlands station says police not telling her anything

The mother of murdered police officer, Kelvin Shepherd, is upset over the progress of investigations into his death saying that police have told her nothing since the incident. The question of compensation is also on her mind.

Kelvin Shepherd

“Since Kelvin died nobody ain’t come and tell me nothing,” were the words of Patricia Shepherd whose anger was fuelled by an article in the August 2 edition of the Kaieteur News which reported the local human rights body, GHRA as calling for an investigation into police officer Ivelaw Murray’s suicide.

Police had said that Constable 20631 Shepherd was shot dead by Assistant Superintendent of Police Murray just around 12:55 on the morning of July 4 at the Springlands Police Station after being called out to work while he was off-duty.

“All the time you hearing bout the Murray story nobody ain’t saying anything about my son. I read today [yesterday’s] paper and they want say is foul play. Dem say is nah Murray kill my son but what I concern (with) is that Murray kill that child,” an exasperated Shepherd told this newspaper yesterday.

According to Shepherd, “The whole problem is a money problem and the story geh sour and that’s why he kill me son.”

Shepherd is also questioning if her family is entitled to some sort of compensation since “is he own officer kill he”. But she admits that she does not know how to pursue the matter, “Me aint know who to go to and nobody ain’t coming to you fuh tell you anything.”

Shepherd added she is speaking out because she would like some answers in light of all the attention that Murray was getting in the media.

The 23-year-old Shepherd of Rosignol, West Bank Berbice was asleep in the barracks when Murray, the officer-in-charge of the Springlands Police Station woke him up and a heated confrontation reportedly ensued. As a result, Shepherd sustained gunshot injuries to his head and was rushed to the Skeldon Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

According to the police, Murray of 83 Phulwarie Street, Better Hope, East Coast Demerara had subsequently walked over hurriedly to his living quarters nearby and shot himself. He had left a suicide note to his mother.

The details surrounding the incident which resulted in the deaths of ASP Murray and Constable Shepherd are still controversial. In a press statement, hours after the men’s deaths, police had reported that it was a case of murder/suicide. A position the police have stuck to even after questions were raised in relation to the death of Murray. A post-mortem report has said that Murray had sustained two bullet wounds, either of which could have killed him.

Efforts yesterday to contact the police public relations officer and the Commander of B division in relation to compensation for Shepherd’s family were unsuccessful.

In the meantime, Patricia Shepherd says she would just like some answers since her son too was killed and it seemed to have been forgotten.