As police continue to investigate two murders they believe are linked and were committed as acts of reprisal during last week, they were yesterday granted an additional 72 hours to detain two of the four suspects who were arrested, while the other two have been released.
This was confirmed by Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum who told Stabroek News that the two men who remain in custody are Dellon Small called ‘Two Pound’ and Vellone Thorne.
Small was arrested on Saturday for questioning in relation to the murder of Lance Corporal Kevon Payne after he was identified as the alleged triggerman by eyewitnesses. Thorne, Payne’s brother was arrested for the shooting to death of Charlestown resident Gladstone ‘Tuffy’ Taylor after eyewitnesses reportedly fingered him as the person who pumped several bullets in Taylor before speeding away from the scene.
Thorne’s hands were checked for gunpowder residue and police were up to yesterday afternoon awaiting the results.
Blanhum said two brothers, Clive and Randy Bharat, were also arrested in relation to Payne’s murder, but were released on station bail over the weekend.
Payne, 22, called ‘Scar,’ of Sussex Street, Charlestown, was gunned down a short distance away from his home around 10.20 pm on Tuesday.
The police had said that Payne was among a group of men standing on the roadway at Lyng and Sussex streets, Charlestown, when two men armed with firearms rode up on a motorcycle and discharged rounds in their direction. He was shot about the body, including once to the chest, and was pronounced dead on arrival at the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH).
Ranks of a police mobile patrol that was in the vicinity responded and confronted the two suspects but they managed to escape after an exchange of gunfire, police added.
It was less than one week after that Taylor was gunned down.
The police said in a press release that Taylor of Adelaide and Sussex streets, Charlestown, was sitting in a chair in front of his residence when two men drove up on a motorcycle.
One of the men who was armed with a firearm discharged several rounds at Taylor and they escaped on the motorcycle. Taylor was hit about his body and was taken to the GPH where he was pronounced dead on arrival.
Police sources had revealed that these two killings were linked since there was an ongoing feud between the two parties for a period of time.
These murders are suspected to be reprisal killings, according to a source, who claimed that Taylor had reportedly paid another individual to murder Payne.
