Trio released as probe into engineer’s murder falters

Three persons held in connection with the execution of Guyana Geology and Mines Commission engineer Trevor Abrams have been released from custody and police are seemingly no closer to solving this case.

Crime Chief Leslie James told Stabroek News yesterday that the three persons who were held have been released and that a car which was impounded following suspicions that it was the getaway vehicle used by the gunmen was expected to be released to the owner.

The car, according to a senior police official, was of a similar make and has a similar licence plate number to the one that the gunmen used to ambush Abrams last Friday. It was impounded last weekend. The owner, who had claimed that he had rented the vehicle out to someone, was arrested. Police subsequently held two other persons.

Based on what this newspaper was told, the trio was released as the 72 hours permitted by law to hold persons without charge had expired and there was little evidence against them.

Asked about surveillance footage that the police were reviewing, James indicated that nothing substantial was found. Police had been hoping that the camera might have captured the vehicle that the gunmen were travelling it or even helped to identify them.

Trevor Abrams
Trevor Abrams

Based on an eyewitness account, the gunmen launched their attack at Diamond, East Bank Demerara, in the vicinity of DDL around 11 am. A silver grey car was spotted speeding behind Abrams before it drove up alongside him and tried “to brace him to the corner.” This apparently forced Abrams to slow down and he eventually came to a stop.

According to the witness, it would appear that when Abrams spotted the hoodie-clad men holding guns, he immediately drove off.

The gunmen got back into their vehicle and while in hot pursuit began shooting at the fleeing Abrams, who eventually uprooted a lantern post and veered into the canal alongside the Little Diamond Public Road.

He was pronounced dead on arrival at the nearby Diamond Diagnostic Centre a short while after he was pulled from his partly submerged vehicle by public-spirited citizens.

At least nine spent shells were recovered from the scene by the police and it was said that Abrams sustained five gunshot wounds, including two to the back.

It is still unclear why Abrams was targeted. Persons close to him had expressed confidence that the shooting was linked to his work, which included the identification of areas where precious metals are located.

His relatives seemed to believe that it was either a case of mistaken identity or he was the victim of a robbery.

There are reports that Abrams who had been employed with the GGMC as a mining engineer since 2012 had left home with a $600,000 cheque which was to be used to buy food supplies for his upcoming trip into the interior.

It is suspected that Adams might have stopped at one of the banks at Diamond to change the cheque. Based on the information received the cheque had not been cashed up to the time of his death. It is suspected that Adams may have been trailed after leaving the bank.

His parents say their son’s bag, which contained the cheque and other documents, is missing. They believe that it was either grabbed by the bandits when they ambushed Adams, it feel into the trench after the car crashed or someone else took it.