Another suspect detained over dismembering

Police have detained another person in connection with the murder of US citizen Samantha Benjamin and investigators are following all leads to ensure that all the players involved are brought before the courts.

A police source told Stabroek News last evening a man was arrested on Tuesday and is currently in custody along with another man assisting with investigations.

Labourer Imran Ramsaywack was on Tuesday charged with dismembering the woman and dumping her body parts into the ocean at Annandale, East Coast Demerara. Benjamin’s head, hands, feet and torso later washed up on the foreshore.   Ramsaywack, a resident of Berbice will return to court on May 4.

Samantha Benjamin
Samantha Benjamin

Ramsaywack was the first to be arrested. Last weekend a 16-year-old and a young man were arrested, one at a house at Melanie Damishana and the other at Vigilance.

A police source said last night that the teen has been released into the custody of his parents. The source said that the two men are in custody assisting with investigations. Police officials are insisting that the investigation is still ongoing as others are involved and it is their aim to single them out and charge them.

According to the police source a file on the matter had been sent to the police on Tuesday with advice to charge Ramsaywack. The file was again sent yesterday morning and later returned with advice that additional investigations be done.

The woman’s dismembered body was found on March 26 but it wasn’t until April 1st that Benjamin was positively identified.

Benjamin had moved out of her husband’s home because they were having relationship problems. Her husband said he had not seen his wife since then but they would stay in touch via phone.

A relative of Benjamin had told Stabroek News that when he visited the house where she was staying in Buxton, blood looked like it had been trickling down the beams. Blood was also found between the grooves of the floorboards.

While leaving the premises, the relative encountered the labourer and asked about the blood. Ramsaywack told him it was cutex.

Police were summoned and he was arrested.