Husband still eluding cops after Blankenburg murder

Two weeks after a 32-year-old mother was discovered dead in her home no arrest has been made, even after the man implicated in the murder contacted the family and told them his location.

Rushelle Rodney was found on January 17 with her neck and both wrists slit and also several stab wounds to her back, stomach and chest. One of her two children made the discovery around midday at their Lot 72 Boodhoo Housing Scheme, Blankenburg, West Coast Demerara home.

Rushelle Rodney

This newspaper understands that later that day, the suspect in this matter, the dead woman’s husband, Shawn Rodney, contacted her father to provide him with an explanation for his action after admitting to the crime.

A police source had told this newspaper that a wanted bulletin was expected to be sent to Suriname, where Rodney had told relatives he escaped to. However, the man is yet to be captured by the police.

When Stabroek News contacted the dead woman’s mother, Evette McDonald, yesterday she revealed that Shawn Rodney had since contacted her other daughter, Alana, and asked her to purchase credit to be sent to his cellular phone. Scared by this, Evette said, her daughter started crying and asked the man not to call her again.

McDonald said she has been left in grave distress over her daughter’s horrifying demise and added that she is still attempting to grapple with the incident.

The woman said she has not gone back to the police station for an update since she expects that if there are any developments she would be contacted.

It was reported that the couple was involved in an argument, during which the woman locked the man out of the house. After he continuously knocked and pleaded, with her Rushelle opened the door and the man ran in. It is believed that once inside, he used a knife to cut her throat. It was also reported that her attacker used several knives.

According to a police press release issued on that afternoon, the woman’s body was found in the kitchen of the house and three blood-stained knives were found at the scene.

The man made his escape in vehicle PNN 9420 with a six-year-old boy. The child arrived safely at the home of relatives about three hours later.

The vehicle was found abandoned on the public road at Carlton Hall, Mahaicony, East Coast Demerara.