Cummings Lodge drive-by killings, others still under probe

Though police were working with reports that missing cocaine brought from Vene-zuela led to the killing of five people at Cummings Lodge on September 4 2010, they have never contacted their counterparts for information that could possibly crack the case which is now at a standstill.

Crime Chief Seelall Persaud said recently that like the two other execution- style killings that riveted the country last year, there is no new development in the Cummings Lodge incident
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Days after the September incident, Police Commission-er Henry Greene and Persaud had told this newspaper that the killings were drug related.

Fiona Singh

According to Greene, reports were that seven kilogrammes of cocaine that went missing may have fuelled the deadly attack that claimed the lives of three men, a woman and her three year old. He had explained to reporters that the information was that one of the slain men collected nine kilogrammes of cocaine which came out from Vene-zuela and was to hand it over to a “certain group”.

However, only two kilogrammes were delivered and the man claimed that the rest had been seized by the police, Greene had said, adding that this story was apparently not believed.

Greene had stressed that the police are working with the information that the incident was drug related adding that investigators “are hearing so many things about a drug deal gone sour”.

During the brief interview with Stabroek News recently, Persaud maintained that position. He said the information received suggested that there was a drug link.

Neil Jupiter

When asked if there has since been any collaboration with the police in Venezuela, Persaud said “we haven’t seen any need to collaborate, the thing is that it was circulating (the issue of drugs from Venezuela. We haven’t seen any need to contact any country directly”, he stressed before adding that the investigation is still open.

Around 19:35 hours on September 4 last, police received a report of a shooting at Second Field South East Cummings Lodge and on investigating found motor car PLL 2297 with several bullet holes and the bodies of Steve Jupiter called `Steve man’; his girlfriend Fiona Singh and their son, Neil Jupiter age three years old along with Christopher Gordon and Sherwin Jerome called ‘Dice Head, inside.

Initial reports are that Jupiter, who resided at Industry, East Coast Deme-rara went to pick up Singh and the toddler from a relative’s home in the area and as they were driving out persons opened fire on them.

An eyewitness had told Stabroek News that two cars had been parked on the dark roadway for several minutes.

Steve Jupiter

Police had said that it is believed that the woman and the child were in the wrong place at the wrong time.

A barrage of empty casings, shells and warheads were later recovered at the scene by police but according to Greene, the bullets recovered did not match any firearms used at any other crime scene, which meant, “these are new firearms on the scene”.

Police after the killings also revealed that the three men slain were known to be involved in criminal activities and that Jupiter was a hired gun.

Gordon had been deported in 2003 for narcotic related offences and there was no real significant information pertaining to Jerome.

Linked

Just after the Cummings Lodge murders, Mark Caesar called `Lil Mark’ was executed in another barrage of bullets from high-powered wea-pons on October 1. Caesar and Jupiter were said to be very good friends.

Reports are that around 7 pm, Caesar who was standing alone at the corner of Broad and Adelaide streets – his usual liming spot — was shot at multiple times. Residents recalled hearing at least 15 gunshots.

The shooter discharged rounds from a light coloured car that had slowed down as it approached Caesar, eyewitnesses had said.

The badly-wounded Caesar was left lying on the corner and his attackers escaped along Adelaide Street. Caesar reportedly sustained gunshot wounds to the head, hand, legs and other parts of the body.

Less than two weeks later Dexter Marshall, Jupiter’s brother, was charged with Caesar’s murder.

Four days after Caesar was killed, there was another execution-style shooting at Stone Avenue, Campbellville which left Patrick Goodluck and his friend Godfrey Grootfaam dead.

Three gunmen opened fire on a car transporting the two men who died almost instantly from multiple gunshot wounds. Persaud had said that Goodluck along with the men killed in the other two attacks were associates and “would’ve worked for the same people”. Grootfaam was apparently in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Later police revealed that the same gun was used in the Charlestown and Campbell-ville shooting. From all indications, two separate sets of gunmen committed the three high-voltage shootings.

Some five months after the executions Persaud maintains that they are all linked.

Police officials have never provided any concrete information to support a link.

Relatives of those killed have been unable to provide any possible motive/s for their deaths.