Owayne Lynch, the Stevedore taxi driver who was found dead at Cemetery Road, Mocha Arcadia, with multiple wounds about his body on Tuesday night, was heard arguing about money with his passengers shortly before his death.
Police said that the murder of Lynch, 42, a taxi driver of Stevedore Housing Scheme, Georgetown, occurred at around 9:45 pm on Tuesday on Cemetery Road, Mocha Arcadia, East Bank Demerara by person/persons unknown.
Enquiries disclosed that the victim was plying his trade with motor car #PRR 3313, a black Toyota IST from Swift Cabs based in Sophia. At 8:31 pm that day, the taxi dispatcher sent Lynch to Sophia to pick up a client destined to Mocha Arcadia, the police said. However, at about 9:45 pm, the victim was seen lying motionless on Cemetery Road, Mocha Arcadia, in a pool of blood with multiple wounds about his body, the police said while adding that an ice pick was found at the scene.
When Stabroek News visited the scene yesterday, persons in the area reported that they would have overheard arguments in the area prior to seeing the body lying motionless on the road. One woman related that she heard a number of people arguing in the area but paid it no mind. She added that she was told that the persons, being the driver and passengers of the vehicle, were arguing over monies that the driver had supposedly asked for.
Another woman, who asked to not be named, said that following the murder, she was told that the driver of the vehicle had approached the passengers with a knife, demanding his money. According to her, after the driver was left on the road, persons made their escape from the area by scaling a neighbour’s fence.
This newspaper had initially reported that Lynch, who has been a taxi driver for just over two years, had died clutching a sharp instrument which he reportedly attempted to use in a bid to defend himself from a robbery attempt. It was also reported that persons had initially said that a single gunshot was heard in the area surrounding the cemetery.
According to Lynch’s mother, Coreen Hilliman, her son was a hardworking father of two. She said that while he is known to be a slightly hostile individual, she has never known him to have problems with his customers. Hilliman said that she was made aware of her son’s death after police officers answered his phone when his girlfriend had called, and was asked by an officer to go to the Providence Police Station.
According to information reaching Stabroek News, a male suspect was held and questioned by the police over the incident.
