Two more charged over murder of `paper vendor

Shawn Mannilall
Shawn Mannilall

Two other suspects was yesterday charged and remanded to prison for the murder of newspaper vendor Shawn Mannilall who was shot after armed bandits invaded his Essequibo Coast home more than two weeks ago.

Norlando Browne and John Li yesterday appeared at the Anna Regina Magistrate’s Court.

They were charged jointly with three others for murdering Mannilall also known as ‘Paper Man’ on January 10th, during the course or furtherance of a robbery.

The duo was not required to plead to the indictable offence and was remanded to prison until February 11.

The charges were levelled more than a week after, three men including two brothers were remanded to prison for the said crime.

The men: Carlton Carter, Carl Carter and Delhoya McKenzie appeared before Principal Magistrate Faith McGusty at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court on January 15.

They were not required to plead to the charge and the matter was transferred to the Anna Regina Magistrate’s Court for yesterday.

Crime Chief (ag) Michael Kingston had previously told Stabroek News that several persons who were arrested and later released during the initial stage of the investigation were rearrested after a witness provided the police with a statement implicating them.

Among them was Browne and Li.

He had added that if the statement was given before, the suspects would not have been initially released. “Of course if it was given before they would have never been released in the first place,” he had said.

The police had initially approached the High Court for an extension to further detain the suspects.  However, Kingston had said that the court only granted permission to further detain two of the suspects. As such, the others were released.

On Friday, the police was granted more time to further detain Browne and Li.

Mannilall, 48, of Parcel 61 Queenstown, Essequibo Coast, who was a newspaper vendor at Charity and Anna Regina, was shot and killed in his home after he attempted to fend off two men, both armed, who invaded his home.

The attack occurred just around 8 pm. One of the men had a gun while the other was armed with a cutlass.

According to the police, their investigations revealed that Mannilall and his family were about to enter their home when they were confronted by the bandits.

Mannilall was subsequently shot in his chest, shoulder and the right side of his abdomen, causing him to fall after which both men made good their escape, the police said.

Mannilall was rushed to the Suddie Public Hospital and was pronounced dead on arrival.