‘Rasta Beans’ to be charged over Puruni murder

Police have obtained legal advice to charge murder suspect Deion Evans, also known as ‘Rasta Beans, with the murder of Xavier Boyal, who was fatally shot on November 11 at Puruni Landing.

Police commander for the interior locations, Kevin Adonis, told Stabroek News that investigators have received advice from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) to charge Evans. He said the file was completed and sent to the DPP during the course of the week. Evans is expected to appear in the Bartica Magistrate’s Court today.

A month after hiding from law enforcement, Evans was arrested at a camp on the Cuyuni River on Saturday. He was wanted by the police for the murder of 24-year-old Boyal, who was shot in the wee hours of November 11.

Boyal, who was a pork knocker from Waramuri Mission, Moruca River, North West District, was fatally shot sometime between 3 and 3.45 hours on the morning in question. Police had said that at around 9 pm on November 10th, Boyal left Rock Creek with one of his co-workers, 20-year-old Orlando Marks, and they headed to Junior’s Disco, located at Puruni Landing.

While at the bar, Marks allegedly had an altercation with an unknown man, which resulted in him being punched in his face. As a result, Boyal intervened and reportedly pushed the assailant away. Shortly after, both Marks and Boyal left and were walking along the Puruni Road on the way to their camp. Sometime after, the police said, 56-year-old Steve Underwood, a food vendor, was starting his car when the suspect, identified as Evans, entered the vehicle and instructed him to drive. 

While Underwood was driving, the man reportedly pulled out a black handgun from the waist of his pants, pointed the gun towards the windscreen and discharged a round in the direction of Boyal, who was walking along the side of the road.  The windscreen shattered and Boyal instantly fell to the ground. Evans then exited the vehicle, allegedly discharged another round and escaped.

Boyal’s body bore gunshot wounds to the abdomen, one under the right arm and another at the upper right side of his back.